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Serial deliveries of the S-70 Okhotnik-B heavy combat UAV to the Russian Armed Forces are expected to begin in 2024, Andrei Yelchaninov, First Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Military-Industrial Commission (MIC) of Russia, said in an interview with Interfax.
“The drone has shown its performance, and is still being tested. What is currently flying is a technology demonstrator and a prototype of a drone that should enter the troops starting from 2024,” Yelchaninov said.
According to him, serial purchases of the Okhotnik-B will be included in the next state armament program for 2024-2033. Both the Ministry of Defense and the board of the military-industrial complex of the Russian Federation are already actively working on drawing it up.
Yelchaninov noted that during the joint tests of the Okhotnik-B with the fifth generation Su-57 fighter jet, the mutual transfer of information between the aircraft is being tested – the redistribution of targets in flight, maintaining intervals and distances, and performing anti-missile maneuvers.
In the future, the pilot of the Su-57 fighter will be able to distribute tasks to a group of drones and organize the work of the so-called “swarm” using artificial intelligence, the first deputy chairman of the board of the Russian military-industrial complex claimed.
“This is one of the possible scenarios, that also prove that human life is always higher and more expensive. And the capability of one human brain is much higher than the totality of a set of computers,” Yelchaninov said.
Essentially, delivers starting as of 2024, with only a prototype being useable 4 years earlier shows how far Russia has to go in order to catch up to market leaders such as the US and Israel in terms of UAV technology.
Russia also doesn’t specifically need a heavy combat drone, as it has a large number of fighter aircraft, and also active pilots, with sufficient training.
On the other hand, medium, light combat drones and loitering munitions are critically important.
There is, however, a setback – receiving significant funding on “small-scale projects” is difficult, while heavy drones such as the Okhotnik-B are very attractive for heavy funding.
This all goes against any successes that the “small-scale projects” have.
As a result, Russian developers are focused on UAVs that are not of critical importance, since they are a sort of redundancy of capabilities that already exist. At the same time, those that are important fall behind, since there’s little interest in working with close to no funding.
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The drone was heard criticising Putin and now will be executed.
No more shrooms for you tonight…
https://media2.giphy.com/media/kanpxbJaDNupi/giphy.gif
If you want to be a good troll you should go with the same narrative as everyone else – Putin is dangerous, Putin is existential treat to USA and to Democracy, Putin is killing the politicians, Putin is deciding presidential elections in USA and blah, blah, blah…
By trying to ridicule Putin in this primitive way you are at least 6 – 7 years behind the schedule of official propaganda :)
Teach me, Master!
There is nothing i can do with someone who cant read properly.. sry :)
My dissapointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined.
This drone is obviously oriented towards fighting of the future battlefield and against a equally equipped and competent army. It CURRENTLY looks redundant due to its role. Lower tech UAVS prevail mostly against outdated or let’s say conventional battlegrounds.At that level yes, Russians have some catching up to do,but I’m pretty sure with some effort and funds it wouldn’t take them more than a year to level the field(no pun intended).They obviously can take the technology of their shelf. If the others could do it with conventional of the shelf tech(Turk) The Russians can do it overnight. Ps.yea I’m stating the obvious.
Yes. If they can build the above drone, they can build the smaller ones, and they can build drone swarms. in fact, they already have to some degree. Kalashnikov has 2 medium to small loiterning munitions drones right now.
Okhotnik is that “catching up” ……already done. They are only waiting next year for “Article 30” a 5th generation “2nd stage” engine (that is to be used for SU-57 also) to have true 5th generation “loyal wingman” stealthy advanced attack heavy drone. There is nothing to “catch up” after that. For the rest I agree.
This is the best of the rest,no frills,no fake hyper rants,but solid carefull approach
development cost just 40 million (us) So when it comes to efficiency + tech including radars,how is it usa police rely on local manifactured radar guns? soviet techies:
Too bad though to rely on cia/f35,as you know logistics alone way overcomplexed :
Enjoy the postcard:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqjQC1F0zHY&feature=emb_imp_woyt
Good breakthrough for Australia, considering that you have no existent jet aircraft industry (as far as I know). Well it seams that only thing F-35 is good at is to be “flying computer” (for control of drones) F-35 must use “loyal wingman” drone option. Since as airplane F-35 doesn’t do anything good enough. So drones will have to do the jobs instead of F-35.
Amazing how easily SKYNET can take over.. while these engineers are amazed at how well they could taxi this AI thing around..
I thought they already started equipping their new stealth engines on SU-57?
LOL. Ask him again. He seems to think Russia has all the engine tech in the world. Allah will Turkey achieve miraculous success developing arms. Bayraktar TB2 is the first sign.
Insallah!! :D
No. New engines will be able to super-cruise (without after burner) on 1 600 kmh (thus being stealth with IR signature) while these “first stage” can’t do that. That’s why they have ordered only 12 (pre-production jets) in first batch. Those used now are known as “first stage engines” (used by SU-35 also and have limited super cruise, they are less powerful) Those 12 jets are needed for training pilot’s. Since there is no problem changing those engines with more performant “second stage” later on. All others ( 76 jets ) will be produced with the “second stage” 5th generation engines with true super cruise… New engines are due to start production next year. So all the rest of 76 ordered SU-57 will be produced with new engines.
SU-57 is a crippled program sucking up Russia’s funds.
You are talking Western bullshit propaganda. I remember Western “experts” categorically claiming that SU-57 will never be built because Russia in their opinion “doesn’t have know how and money” for such expensive and advanced program. When they saw first prototypes, they have changed their PROPAGANDA and started to attack the jet claiming many false things. So they keep slinging mud on the SU-57 hopping that something will stick in minds of manipulated simpletons like you.
What they are trying to do is leverage more firepower out of a single pilot. They are going to be outnumbered if they fight NATO and they draw from a much smaller population. They have to make up numbers somehow. A single pilot shows up to bomb a target and he takes the covering position while the bombers he controls strike the targets, the EW drone he controls fucks everything in the EM spectrum for them and his tanker is in a holding pattern 500 km away. That’s five less guys to train if it works. at least five pilots out of work.
Drones are useful when the rival dont have a decent air defense ( included fighter jets)…we have seen how drones won the war in NK..but at the same time Iran shot down all drones that was flying close to its borders included some Harop drones because they have a reliable air defense and they made an AD ring with short/medium and long range missile deployed ..
Yes, drones are more useful for doctrines and situations envisioned by Rumsfeld’s “Small War” doctrine against poorly equipped powers.
Small drones are good for close infantry support. the kind that can be launched by 1 or 2 soldiers for use by their own unit for reconnaissance or close suicide and or swarm attack. These are drones that don’t get more than a few hundred meters off the ground if that and don’t travel more than 3 to 5 km making it very difficult to shoot them down or jam them.
This is what the USSA army wants now as they have seen their other drones are useless against a peer or close to peer opponent like Russia China, Iran etc who can shoot them down jam and or capture them.
Small drones are good for close infantry support. the kind that can be launched by 1 or 2 soldiers for use by their own unit for reconnaissance or close suicide and or swarm attack. These are drones that don’t get more than a few hundred meters off the ground if that and don’t travel more than 3 to 5 km making it very difficult to shoot them down or jam them.
This is what the USSA army wants now as they have seen their other drones are useless against a peer or close to peer opponent like Russia China, Iran etc who can shoot them down jam and or capture them.
Small drones are good for close infantry support. the kind that can be launched by 1 or 2 soldiers for use by their own unit for reconnaissance or close suicide and or swarm attack. These are drones that don’t get more than a few hundred meters off the ground if that and don’t travel more than 3 to 5 km making it very difficult to shoot them down or jam them.
This is what the USSA army wants now as they have seen their other drones are useless against a peer or close to peer opponent like Russia China, Iran etc who can shoot them down jam and or capture them.
Turkey already perfected the drone swarm tactics you say America wants
Or Pashinyan. Or Pashinyan that betrayed NK and Russia.
How many TB2 did Iran shoot down? Give proof
Iran shot down Israeli Harop drones which is more difficult to intercept than TB2…for other side there are 2 Debris of TB2 shot down by NK forces!..you can find it in Internet.
I agree that two TB2 drones were shot down by Armenia. I saw a list of all drones shot down by N-K forces. There were very few TB2 shot down. The rest were Israeli drones.
2 TB2 were shot down in Martuni by TOR M 2 system..and photos of Debris was posted…is possible that some TB2 have been shot down and Debris have fell in areas controlled by AZ…similar case when SAA retake Saraqib and they found Debris of 1- 2 TB2…
Kalashnikov has two new recon/suicide drones, both about 40 km range and 3-5kg explosive payload. One is actually autonomously targeting. They have also experimented with drone swarms. Right now the entire military world is sorting out the military utility of drones. Russia is in stride with this, although i agree that the above drone is not the direction to take.
Drones are “INEXPENSIVE” compared to combat aircraft. This can not be overstated.
That is especially true when using the tech of the ‘opposition’, as Iran is doing with scaled models of the RQ 170. You don’t give away your latest explorations and developments should one get captured in part or whole. Mass production of bodies could be shared with Iran, with each using their own motor systems. It should be done ASAP
BS article. Sorry guys.
yeah this is a straw man.
These drones are probably are already in service. Russia isnt playing catch up, first operational loyal wingman will be Russian. These extend radar and missile range, heavy combat drones are the future. Light and recon drones are secondary.
Heavy combat drones are the future for near-peer conflicts, which seem to be what Russia focuses on.
If there’s any hesitance on the part of the Russians, It could be related to their experience of being repeatedly attacked unsuccessfully at the air base in Latakia. I’ve lost count of how many times Turkish proxies have launched drone swarms at the base, but save for a lightly damaged bomber during the first attack, the tactic has been defeated. At most, some concrete revetments had to be built, and cheaper SAM missiles became prioritized.
60 times, or more by now.
Light and medium sized attack drones are not on the Russian immediate procurement agenda since the do no carry heavy loads, are slow and very vulnerable to layered air defenses and air superiority fighters. Okhotnik heavy drone weighs empty 20 tons, develops speeds of 1000 kms/h, carries +2 tons of weapons, while other drones highly touted do not come close to okhotnik’s specs.
https://youtu.be/WVBqIQdwdmI
https://youtu.be/ZIXv18Fni_8
I think the idea of having light to medium sized non-suicidal attack drone is sort of being dispensed with by everyone. Loitering munitions, aka suicide drones, are the solution of choice.
In my opinion, a good combat drone should be cheap, easily mass produced and modular. This is something Eurasians are great at. Modular design and multifunctionality.
This thing does not look cheap or easily manufactured.
This article is ANTI-RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA or totally incompetent nonsense.. BULLSH*T ARTICLE !!! Okhotnik is the most advanced 5th generation drone that Russia has ! A platform on which will be tested even 6th generation most advanced tech that Russia has. Russia has NOTHING “to catch up” and Russia is producing drones that Russia needs and not only imitating blindly others.
Russia also doesn’t specifically need a heavy combat drone, as it has a large number of fighter aircraft, and also active pilots, with sufficient training.
This sentence above is monstrous STUPIDITY and one of the most IGNORANT comments I had possibility to read anywhere on the internet. Now why would HEAVY fighter jet like SU-57 need “lighter” drone with very limited speed and limited range of “medium size” as “loyal wingman” ?!?? What would be the purpose of that idiocy?!? To imitate US or IsraHell?!! But even they don’t do that !
Calm down pal. West always spread anti Russian propaganda since Ivan the Terrible times. Don’t pay much attention on it.
I can’t . It has been decades already that they persistently talk worst possible bullshit against anybody opposed to them. Human beings with minimum decency would be ashamed because of mountains of lies already. But US-NATO are not ashamed of anything. And I would be indifferent on their propaganda only if it has not brought disaster to my family with their global regime changes. They are about to destroy global economy and bring even more misery because of their greed.. And those Anglo-Saxon whores want to rule the planet forever covered by the blood of innocent and lying and robbing others persistently. No I can’t have that. They make my life and lives of people I like , miserable.
The West is almost dead. Don’t miss the moment. You still can assure more easier transition period because of your knowledge of global situation. Think global act local.
Okhotnik will have the same super cruise 5h generation engine as SU-57. And Okhotnik will be able to super cruise on 1 600 kmh without after burners just like SU-57 to preserve stealth. It is logical because Okhotnik will fly in front of SU-57 (being much stealthier than SU-57) to perform attack missions in the most protected enemy areas. There is NO point that STEALTH Okhotnik can’t super cruise on 1 600 kmh without after burners! Specially because it is senseless to create STEALTH drone and than use much weaker engine that must use after burners to fly (1 400 kmh ) SLOWER than SU-57 that flays in super cruise mode without afterburners!!!
With the Okhotnik-B they are studying the possibility of building completely autonomous warplanes, that is without the need for a human presence on board the plane, you have to take it as an experimental test bed of what the planes will have to do in the future, as well as thought by the best weapons manufacturers, perhaps calling it a drone does not give an idea of where the studies and future projects are headed.
A lot of people are quick to run their mouths off without understanding the article. lol
It can take almost 9 tons of payload LOL I wonder what is that heavy.
All I read in the comments is “they can” “they can” “they can”. I want to read “they have” Pride goes before a downfall, and may God deny the Russian engineers the wisdom and knowledge to compete with others in this very critical field of armament.
Russia should should partner with Iran to build drones. They have expertise in different areas and would offset the areas the other is weakest at. They would compliment each other’s offerings.
Russia is always preparing for the Big War, while NATO is focused on anti insurgents missions. Period.
“program for 2024-2033.”… I laugh, when reading such ignorant plans, as it is doubtful this “civilization” will make it even till end of President Putin’s term in: 2030