The Sukhoi SU-70 Okhotnik-B (Russian: Сухой С-70 Охотник-B / English: Hunter-B) is Russia’s most advanced heavy stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV). Emerging as a key component of Russia’s modern military aviation strategy, the Okhotnik-B is designed to operate in highly contested environments, leveraging stealth, autonomy, and manned-unmanned teaming to enhance Russia’s air combat capabilities. It is designed to operate in conjunction with, and under the control of, the Su-57, Moscow’s 5th-generation fighter jet.
1 History
The development of the S-70 project began in the early 2010s as part of Russia’s broader initiative to modernise its military aviation with advanced unmanned technologies and to close the technology gap with the United States, which was operating UCAVS such as the Northrop Grumman X-47B and the RQ-170 Sentinel. [source]
The construction bureaus of MiG and Sukhoi jointly develop the project, partly based on the design of the Mikoyan Skat, MiG’s earlier UCAV project. The Okhotnik-B also encompasses technologies used in the Su-57. [source, source]
In 2019, the project was officially made public the S-70 made its maiden flight. After years of testing, the drone was expected to enter service and production in late 2024; it is unclear whether or not this happened.
2 Technical Specifications
There are no official details on all the dimensions and performance parameters of the S-70 due to their classified nature. Publicly available data suggests the following: [source, source]
- Length: 13 – 14 meters
- Wingspan: 18 – 20 meters
- Height: 2.8 – 3.16 meters
- Empty weight: 10,000 – 20,000 kg
- Maximum takeoff weight: Approximately 25,000 kg
- Maximum speed: 1,000 – 1,400 km/h (Mach 0.8 – 1.4)
- Service ceiling: 12,000 – 18,000 meters
- Combat radius: 4,000 km
- Payload: 2,000 – 2800 kg
- Munition: guided and unguided missiles and bombs.
- Sensors and electronics: electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and electronic intelligence (ELINT) systems
- Development costs: USD $192 million
The Okhotnik-B has a tailless flying-wing design and transports weapons in internal bays, rather than on external pylons, reducing its radar cross-section. It features composite materials coated in radar-absorbent paint, further optimising stealth performance. Its design marks a deviation from earlier Russian UAVS, which were largely meant for reconnaissance missions. [source]
3 Mission Set
The S-70 is designed to operate in tandem with a two-seat variant of the Su-57, allowing a second pilot to command and control multiple Okhotnik UCAVS in real-time. This can open up new attack capabilities, such as coordinated drone swarm attacks, saturation strikes, and real-time intelligence sharing. Additionally, drones can be used as decoys, jammers, and for strikes, while allowing the Su-57 pilots to maintain a safe distance. These “loyal wingman” features allow the drone to extend the situational awareness and strike capabilities of manned fighter jets. [source, source]
Possible mission scenarios for the S-70 include: [source, source]
- Suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD): Penetrating contested airspace to neutralise radar and missile systems.
- Precision Strikes: Engaging high-value targets deep behind enemy lines.
- Reconnaissance and Intelligence Gathering: Providing real-time intelligence through advanced sensors.
- Electronic Warfare: Jamming enemy communications and radar.
- Manned-Unmanned Teaming: Operating in coordination with the Su-57 fighter jet to multiply combat effectiveness in complex air operations.
3.1 Operational Challenges
While the Okhotnik-B promises to significantly enhance Russian air capabilities, critics argue that the program is at risk of facing the same challenges that other major Russian defence programs have: lack of continuous financing and delays in entering mass production. [source]
Other reports highlight that the drone, at its current stage, is more of a heavy bomber rather than a full-fledged “loyal wingman.” It is uncertain whether and when the Okhotnik-B will be able to operate in a unified information-combat system with fighter jets (requiring advanced artificial intelligence capabilities), use air-to-air missiles, or solve large sets of tasks autonomously. None of these features has yet been demonstrated publicly. It remains unknown whether there are enough resources available to achieve this state before mass production or at a later stage. [source]
In October 2024, a Russian Su-57 shot down an S-70 drone, which reportedly lost control over Ukraine. Some reports suggested that Russia attempted to strike the crash site with precision missiles to avoid recovery of the wreckage by Ukraine. However, the wreckage Ukrainian forces likely recovered the wreckage for further study of Russia’s most advanced drone. [source, source]
4 Conclusion
The Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B UCAV marks Russia’s steps into advanced autonomous combat aircraft. With its stealthy design, substantial payload capacity, and potential integration with the Su-57 fighter, iit aims to become a key asset in the Russian Air Force. While the drone represents a significant technological leap forward, it might still struggle to reach its full potential due to the uncertain availability of resources, especially when it comes to adding highly sophisticated features, such as artificial intelligence.
As modern land battles heavily rely on drones, stealthy UCAVS are likely to enter air combat doctrines of militaries worldwide. The S-70 embodies the global trend towards multi-domain operations, networked combat, risk reduction for human pilots, and operations in contested airspaces.
