The first photos of the Russian heavy combat drone Okhotnik appeared on the Internet in February 2019. The drone was a secret yet in the autumn of 2018. The emergence of the first pictures shows that Okhotnik is likely to fly in 2019 as scheduled. The engagement tactic is of interest, the Army Standard writes.
According to unconfirmed sources, the Okhotnik is made of composite materials and a radar-absorbing coat. It has a jet power plant and is supposed to develop a speed of up to 1,000 kilometers. Possibly, Russia is developing a drone identical to such foreign analogs as (Northrop Grumman) X-47B and Phantom Ray (Boeing).
The Okhotnik is in the same class as China's Tian Ying drone, the U.S. Air Force's RQ-170 surveillance drone. A flying wing similar in shape to the U.S. Air Force's B-2 stealth bomber, Okhotnik could penetrate enemy defenses to deliver ordnance. The Okhotnik is distinguished from US Predator by stealth technologies and presumably by powerful electronic warfare. It means it can be engaged in the area of adversary air defense.
Today, Russian armed forces do not operate armed drones, but the State Weapons Program 2018-2027 allocates funds for (UCAV) procurement. Current Russian thinking for future Drone employment is that reconnaissance and armed drones would be used in a group, exchanging data among themselves through a secure datalink and assisting manned aircraft in the case of an armed conflict with a technologically developed opponent.
The Sukhoi (S-70) has a wingspan of 20 m. It can fly at a maximum speed of 1,000 km/h with a maximum cruising range of 6,000 km. It has two internal weapons bays able to carry up to 2,000 kg of guided and unguided weapons.
The Okhotnik's design is based on the flying-wing scheme and incorporates the use of composite materials and stealth coatings, making the drone low-observable in flight. It has a mass of about 20 tons and wingspan around 65 feet (20 meters). The drone is powered either by a single AL-31F turbofan, as used on the Sukhoi Su-27 fighter aircraft, or by the improved AL-41F derivative installed on Su-35 fighters and Su-57 prototypes.
Okhotnik-B, is a Russian stealth heavy unmanned combat aerial vehicle being developed by Sukhoi as a New-generation aircraft project. The drone is based on the earlier Mikoyan Skat, designed by MiG and encompassing some technologies of the fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jet.
It is likely the Okhotnik was designed to act as a 'loyal wingman' controlled by a parent aircraft, namely the Su-57. It has 2 internal weapons bays for up to 2,000 kg of guided and unguided ammunition.
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