S-70 Okhotnik with flat jet nozzle
The roll-out of the first flight model of the newest Russian attack Unmanned Combat Aerial System (UCAS) Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik (Hunter) took place at the Novosibirsk Aviation Plant (NAZ) named after V.P.Chkalov.
The roll-out took place during a working trip of the Russian Deputy Defence Minister Alexei Krivoruchko to the NAZ plant where he held a meeting with the plant's management regarding the execution of state contracts. Krivoruchko also inspected the assembly process of the second flight prototype of the S-70 and the production line of the Su-34M aircraft.
The UCAS's roll-out records the completion of the assembly of the final layout of the aircraft equipped with all necessary on-board equipment in accordance with the requirements. Preparations are now underway for ground testing and the first flight of the vehicle.
The work on the Okhotnik programme is one of the key directions for the Sukhoi Company and the UAC. UCASs of this class shall be highly intelligent systems capable of solving a wide range of task either autonomously, in groups or combined with Sukhoi Su-57 and/or Sukhoi Su-75 manned aircraft.
The development of the S-70 concentrates numerous high tech enterprises of the Russian defence-industrial complex as instead of being assembled from off-the-shelf components, it requires a full development cycle, from design to manufacture, testing, as well as the development and production of necessary ground and airborne equipment.
The most visible feature of the final Okhotnik is the flat engine nozzle, further reducing the radar signature of the machine. In addition, a new ground control centre is being created for the UCAS, designed to meet the requirements of the military.
The S-70 was created as part of the development work under the Okhotnik programme, which has been carried out at the Sukhoi Design Bureau since 2011. An experimental prototype with a traditional jet nozzle made its first 20 min long flight in August 2019. In the same year, the demonstrator also undertook first joint flight with the Su-57 fifth generation fighter.