In the morning hours, various videos and images began to go viral from Ukraine, showing the downing of one of the new stealth Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik drones of the Russian Aerospace Forces. The incident is significant to the specialist community as it involves one of the most advanced unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV) developed by the Russian aerospace industry. Moreover, initial reports suggest that the drone may have been shot down during a combat test over Russian airspace, near the Ukrainian border.
About the S-70 Okhotnik: the “Russian Loyal Wingman”
The S-70 Okhotnik is one of the most modern unmanned aerial vehicles under development to equip the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS). Its design, featuring a flying wing configuration (similar to the B-2 bombers and the future B-21 Raider of the USAF), gives it stealth capabilities and a low radar signature. Although many details of the program are kept under wraps, this UCAV is expected to have a takeoff weight of 20 tons and reach speeds of 1,000 km/h.
One of the key aspects of its development is that the VKS requires it to operate alongside the Su-57 Felon stealth fighters, mimicking the Western concept of the “loyal wingman.”
However, throughout this year and part of last year, there have been no significant updates on the S-70. The last major development report occurred in August 2023 when the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) stated that the Okhotnik’s flight tests and evaluations would take place by the end of the year.
In statements collected at the time by the TASS news agency, UAC executives said: “According to current plans, government tests of the Okhotnik will be completed by the end of the year, and mass production and deliveries to the army will begin in 2024. Several dozen of these aircraft will be delivered to the military under contract.”
Recorded downing of the S-70: doubts and certainties
Returning to today’s event, several images were shared in the morning showing the downing of a Russian aircraft, whose wreckage fell in Ukrainian territory, specifically in the town of Kostyantynivka, Donetsk Oblast. The news began to gain traction when viralized photographs suggested the wreckage belonged to the mentioned stealth S-70 drone, with the distinctive features observed throughout its development. One of the remains includes a wing of the UCAV with its characteristic shape.
Later, videos allegedly captured the drone’s flight, accompanied by a fighter jet that at one point launched an air-to-air missile that ultimately brought down the S-70.
These events have triggered several hypotheses, and due to a lack of further data, a clear understanding of the incident is still elusive. However, the preliminary analysis by military specialists and Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) confirms that it is indeed the S-70 that was shot down on the Russian-Ukrainian border, with its wreckage landing in Ukrainian territory, raising new questions.
Firstly, it remains unclear if the S-70’s presence near Ukrainian territory was part of a combat conditions flight test, which ended with the loss of control and its subsequent downing by the accompanying jet. Or, alternatively, if this was the first operational deployment of the Okhotnik by the VKS.
Secondly, the aircraft that shot down the S-70 has also caught the attention of specialists, who speculate that it may have been a Su-57 stealth fighter. As previously noted, the drone is designed to operate as part of a “Loyal Wingman” concept.
At this moment, the incident is generating more questions as time passes. One of the latest viral images on social media shows Ukrainian troops in the process of recovering the wreckage for further analysis by specialists, who are eagerly awaiting to uncover its secrets.
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