Secret Russian stealth drone S-70 crashed in Ukraine - experts named its weak point (video)
On 5 October, the wreckage of an "unidentified aircraft" fell on houses in the small town of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Region, very close to where the front line runs. At first it was supposed to be a Russian SU-34 or SU-25 fighter jet, but when the wreckage was examined by specialists, it turned out that a secret Russian drone S-70 "Hunter" (Okhotnik) fell on the heads of peaceful Ukrainians.
Here's What We Know
The S-70 "Hunter" stealth drone is the latest Russian development. In addition to reconnaissance, its purpose is to drop bombs on enemy positions.
The device flies in tandem with a fifth-generation SU-57 fighter, is remotely controlled via radio, has a wingspan of up to 20 metres (65 feet), weighs up to 20 tonnes and carries up to 8 tonnes of bombs, according to open sources.
The video, which was taken by locals, shows the moment the aircraft is hit by a missile strike by its own aircraft. Experts believe that the "Hunter" went out of control and did not respond to the pilot's commands, so it was decided to destroy the UAV to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Ukrainian side.
Three positive points should be noted:
- The bombs were not dropped on Ukrainian cities
- (Probably) Ukrainian REB was able to suppress the radio signal and render the UAV inoperable.
- The wreckage did fall into the hands of specialists and will be examined in detail.
Among the burnt parts were found components of a high-precision guided bomb UMPB D-30SN - this proves that the "Hunter" performed the functions of a bomber.
The first tests of the Okhotnik took place in 2019. According to the media, Russia has only three copies of the S-70, two of which are prototypes.
Forbes military analysts believe that it is radio communication that is the weak point of the S-70 "Okhotnik" and in the conditions of modern warfare in the work of REB its use is not a good solution.
UAV S-70 "Hunter" is a copy of the American RQ-170, but unlike it performs not only reconnaissance functions. The cost of one S-70 is $20mn.
Source: Forbes