The first and second prototypes of the S-70 Okhotnik heavy attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which are the wingmen of the Russian fifth-generation Su-57 fighter, will differ significantly, two sources in the military-industrial complex told RIA Novosti.
One of the interlocutors explained that the first aircraft is more an experimental product, while the second is an experimental pre-production device.
According to another source, after the roll-out of the second S-70 Okhotnik, “the ground testing phase of [this] UAV will begin, including engine starts, checks of on-board systems and apparatus, taxiing and jogging along the runway and much more.”
Both interlocutors assured that the construction of the second UAV will be completed by the end of summer, and this product is planned to be launched into the air at the end of this year – early next year.
In February, Izvestia, citing sources from the Russian Defense Ministry, reported that the military department plans to create one for two or three squadrons of Su-57 fighters with their wingmen – the S-70 Okhotnik UAV.
In February, RIA Novosti, citing a source in the military-industrial complex, specified that Russia would build three more S-70 Okhotnik models.
In December 2020, the Russian Aerospace Forces received the first serial Su-57.
