UK intelligence reveals shameful failure of Russian weapons developers
Russia has suffered another shameful failure in weapons development (russian media)
On October 5, Russia shot down its own S-70 Hunter unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) as it was flying west over the frontline in Ukraine. It is believed that Russia lost control of the drone and opted to destroy it to prevent it from falling into enemy hands, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The UK Defence Ministry said that the S-70 has been under development by the Sukhoi enterprise for over a decade, with testing observed at the Akhtubinsk airbase in Russia.
The key feature of the S-70 is its reduced radar cross-section, designed to make it a stealthy deep-strike weapon, potentially capable of evading enemy radar and air defense systems. It is expected that the system could operate alongside the Su-57 fighter jet.
According to British intelligence, Russia likely waited until the last moment before deciding to shoot down the drone, having exhausted all attempts to regain control.
"This demonstrates yet another expensive and embarrassing failure of Russian weapons development and will almost delay the S-70 program," the UK Ministry of Defence said.
Details about heavy drone
On October 5, an aerial target was shot down near the town of Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region. Initially, it was thought to be a Su-25 or Su-34 aircraft (often used for bombing), but later videos supported the theory that it was the S-70 Hunter UCAV.
Plans for a strike UCAV of this class were first announced in August 2009, with development starting in 2012 when Sukhoi was chosen as the lead designer. The heavy drone was expected to have a take-off weight between 10 and 20 tons.
The UCAV is believed to be capable of carrying guided missiles, precision-guided bombs, and unguided bombs in its internal payload bay, as well as on underwing hardpoints.
With this project, Russia aimed to field aircraft that, judging by their characteristics, could essentially be unmanned combat planes.
For more details on the downing of the drone, read the RBC-Ukraine report, "Plane or drone? What we know about Russia's friendly fire incident near Kostiantynivka."
