Recently, the first photo of a promising Russian UAV, known under the designation S-70 "Okhotnik", was posted on the network. Despite the first doubts about its authenticity, experts eventually agreed that it really was him. Moreover, soon we were pleased with a new portion of now high-quality photos, where the device can be seen in all its glory.
"Hunter" and his prey
It should be noted right away that the material does not claim to be the ultimate truth and is an attempt to understand what the notorious UAV really is. Caution in this matter will not hurt, since you simply cannot find any detailed information about the new development of Sukhoi. The project is extremely secret, even by the standards of the Russian military-industrial complex, which is not used to sharing details with the general public.
Suffice it to recall how long the appearance of the device remained a secret. By the way, some Internet users have already called the new photos a "leak". Whether this is true or not, we do not know.
According to data from open sources, the "Okhotnik" is a heavy attack unmanned aerial vehicle. It has been in development since 2012. The first rollout took place in June 2018, and in November the UAV made its first runs on the runway ahead of its first flight. Recall that jogging tests make it possible to evaluate the operation of engines, control systems and on-board equipment. Engineers receive important information about how ailerons, elevators, and rudders work. It is also worth noting that, according to data from various sources, now part of the on-board UAV systems are being tested on the T-50-3, one of the prototypes of the fifth generation Su-57 fighter. At the moment, this car can be easily distinguished from other prototypes by its new color: you can distinguish the silhouette of the "Hunter" on it.
In general, they often talk about the unification of the onboard equipment of the Su-57 and Okhotnik. This is even somewhat strange due to the conceptual differences between the two complexes. "Hunter", despite the fact that it is sometimes referred to the sixth generation, is not a fighter. At the same time, as far as can be judged, there are no specific plans to create a drone based on the Su-57 either. At least for now.
What is the concept of the UAV itself? It is based, as can be judged by its appearance, is stealth technology. The mass of the apparatus is supposedly 20,000 kilograms. Presumably, the speed of the "Okhotnik" will reach 1000 kilometers per hour, and its range will be up to six thousand kilometers.
According to available data, the Radioelectronic Technologies concern has already created the following systems for the new UAV:
- information and control complex;
- automatic control system;
- equipment for interfacing with general facility equipment;
- a system for monitoring and diagnostics of onboard equipment;
- inertial satellite navigation system.
Most surprising of all, a number of sources call the date of adoption of the "Hunter" into service in 2020 or even earlier. At the same time, every person familiar with the history of modern aviation knows that ten or more years may pass from the moment of the first flight of the aviation complex (which the Hunter has not yet completed) and before being put into service. To this should be added at least another five years of bringing to a truly combat-ready state and another ten years, while all the initially planned air weapons are integrated into the complex. In this regard, one involuntarily recalls the reports of the central Russian media on the day of the first flight of the T-50, when the presenters declared that the aircraft was “fully operational”. It is also worth noting that the T-50 program and the Hunter program may have different tasks. If the latter was initially positioned as a prototype of a fighter of the future, then the new UAV is, rather, a stand for testing technologies with which Russia has very difficult relations (we are talking specifically about UAVs).
Preimages and analogues
If at the sight of the "Hunter" you experienced a feeling of déjà vu, do not be surprised. The creation of such complexes is one of the main aviation trends in recent years. Do not confuse the new UAV and the old Russian "Skat", which was developed (is being developed?) By the MiG company and which was previously presented as a mock-up. It has external differences, although, for example, the estimated mass of the "Skat" is also up to 20,000 kilograms.
The most famous "relative" of the "Okhotnik" apparatus is the American Northrop Grumman X-47B UAV, which made its first flight back in 2011. Recall that this project has already been closed after the construction of two samples. But behind the back, the X-47B had quite real achievements. Back in July 2013, the drone first landed on the deck of an aircraft carrier. And in April 2015, the X-47B performed the first ever fully automatic mid-air refueling procedure. The reason for the curtailment of the tests was the high cost. Maybe there were some critical design flaws, but nothing is known about them.
Among the European brothers of the Hunter, one can recall the French Dassault nEUROn, which made its first flight in 2012, as well as the British Taranis, which can autonomously take off and land, as well as perform an autonomous flight along the route. However, the Chinese leap in this area looks even more surprising. Recall that recently, the PRC has shown the world a whole family of large, unobtrusive UAVs. Recall that in January this year, Chinese television presented a flight model of the newest unmanned aerial vehicle Sky Hawk. Similar to the Russian UAV, but smaller in size.
Prospects for the "Hunter"
Someone sees in such devices the prototype of the combat aircraft of the future: unmanned, stealthy, multifunctional. On the other hand, developers from different countries only have to solve the main problems. First, any (or almost any UAV) can be neutralized without direct physical impact by intercepting control. The task is in most cases very difficult, but not impossible. Recall that on December 9, 2011, Iranian television showed footage of the captured American RQ-170 Sentinel without visible damage - one of the most secret, expensive and complex UAVs in the world.
The way out of the situation can be the autonomization of drones through the widespread use of neural networks. However, this already raises questions of a moral and ethical plan. Indeed, in this case, only the robot will decide who will live and who will not. Therefore, as a possible scenario, experts are increasingly calling the concept in which one man-controlled fighter can control and direct a group of UAVs to the target. Perhaps Russia has also decided to follow this path. In this case, rumors about the maximum unification of the radio-electronic equipment of the Okhotnik and the Su-57 are understandable. However, it is worth repeating that so far all these are only plans for the future.
