Clips show what is believed to be a Russian Su-57 shooting down wingman S-70 UCAV; claims swirl around loss of control.
Videos have started appearing online on Oct. 5, 2024, showing a RuAF (Russian Aerospace Forces) fighter jet shooting down an S-70 Okhotnik loyal wingman UCAV (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle) over the Konstantinovka area, Ukraine. The clips of the overhead flight of the two aircraft show two contrails one behind the other, with another streak of smoke leaving the aircraft in the rear and hitting the one ahead, implying it had fired it had fired an AAM (Air-to-Air Missile).
So, this looks like Russians downing their newest Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik heavy drone near Chasiv Yar. pic.twitter.com/haVf4aU6y4
— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) October 5, 2024
✈️💥A brief description of the entire incident with the crash of the Russian aircraft in one post:
About two hours ago, reports began to appear in both Ukrainian and Russian sources about the downing of an aircraft in the Konstantynivka area, Donetsk front.
Almost immediately… https://t.co/iG5vdbCb73 pic.twitter.com/A8f72z7fdh
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) October 5, 2024
Subsequent pictures from the crash site confirmed it was an S-70.
⚡️Footage of the wreckage of the heavy 🇷🇺S-70 Okhotnik UAV shot down by a Russian Aerospace Forces fighter over Konstantinovka, pic.twitter.com/o6CgOCqP4i
— 🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 (@front_ukrainian) October 5, 2024
As to the type of the fighter jet that downed the S-70, most sources seem to agree it might have been an Su-57 Felon. This is a translation of the comment made on Telegram by the popular Russian FigherBomber Telegram Channel, which has close ties with the Russian Aerospace Forces aircrews and personnel:
That is, we could have f’ed up not only the Okhotnik, but also the Su-57 escort, and this is a completely different scenario.
Claims on X and Telegram by both Russian and Ukrainian accounts swirl around a “loss of control” of the UCAV leading to the decision being taken to shoot it down. The Su-57 carries long and short-range AAMs under two internal enclosed weapons bays in the underbelly centerline, on external pylons in the inner harpoints and another internal bay on the wing root above the engine nacelle. What kind of missile was used is not clear. There was no official word from the RuMoD (Russian MoD) at the time of filing this report.
According to Kremlin-aligned Telegram channels claimed it was owing to a loss of control that led to the pilot deciding to shoot it down. The claims also mentioned that this was not the final production variant of the S-70. Neither these claims could be independently verified.
Video of the S-70 B Okhotnik wreckage. Large section of wingtip relatively intact. Evidence of engine components and exhaust heavily damaged.
As far as intelligence value, the majority of the airframe burned.https://t.co/YhioybPTUF
— Evergreen Intel (@vcdgf555) October 5, 2024
The S-70 Okhotnik-B
The S-70 made its maiden flight on Aug. 3, 2019 and was reportedly developed by Sukhoi in approximately three years. Actually, according to some sources its development began much earlier, around 2011, when the Russian Ministry of Defense first allocated funds for the Sukhoi UCAV program. Additionally, the S-70’s design is rooted in the 2005 prototype from Mikoyan-Gurevich (MiG), called the “Skat,” which was publicly displayed as a mock-up at the 2007 MAKS international air show.
The Okhotnik is Russia’s first drone fully built with low-observability features and special composite materials. This development was a partial response to Russia’s longstanding lag in the advanced aviation sector, which has left the country trailing behind the U.S. and China in the development of fifth-generation aircraft and UAV technology.
The S-70 incorporates a specialized composite material developed specifically for this project, likely similar to the materials used in the Sukhoi Su-57 “Felon.” Despite this, the Okhotnik is quite heavy for its class, weighing close to 20 tons—nearly twice the weight of a MiG-29 or an F-16, and four times heavier than comparable drones like the X-47B. Its wingspan is approximately 20 meters, and it has a length of about 14 meters.
In December 2020, RIA Novosti said Okhotnik had conducted simulated tests with infrared (IR) and radar-seeker air-to-air missiles to test the UCAV’s fire-control systems at the 185th Combat Application and Training Center at Ashuluk.
The UCAV conducted its first live-fire test by releasing unguided bombs on a target at the Ashuluk training ground near the Caspian Sea, according to a report in January 2021. On May 28, 2022, RIA Novosti again reported a “series of guided missile firing” tests, which Janes concluded was the Kh-59MK2 standoff cruise missile.
In 2021, reports emerged that the Russian Ministry of Defense planned to integrate the Okhotnik with Su-57 squadrons, with each squadron potentially having one UCAV unit. This integration aimed to establish a manned-unmanned teaming (MUM/T) system, enabling Su-57 pilots to coordinate missions with the UCAV. This move further supports the idea that the S-70 would act as a “Loyal Wingman” to the Su-57 Felon, enhancing combat capabilities through manned-unmanned collaboration.
Ukraine now has recovered parts of this unmanned aircraft and these will likely be shipped to the U.S. for thorough analysis. This detailed examination will enhance American understanding of the Russian stealthy drone.
