On October 5, 2024, Russia misplaced one in every of its S-70 Hunter stealth drones after it was by chance shot down by one in every of its personal fighter jets. The incident befell throughout an operation over Donetsk, and whereas the precise circumstances stay unclear, it’s believed {that a} Russian Su-57 fighter jet mistakenly struck the drone.
Investigations revealed that one of many drone’s wings remained nearly intact, whereas its engine was broken however not completely destroyed. Among the many wreckage, elements of Russian flat-throw bombs have been discovered, suggesting that the drone was carrying a payload throughout its mission. Although the first reason behind the accident hasn’t been totally decided, it’s potential that the S-70 was concerned in operational testing or trials of latest applied sciences designed to counter Ukraine’s air protection programs.
The S-70 Hunter is a stealth unmanned aerial automobile [UAV] developed by Sukhoi, primarily designed for precision strikes and reconnaissance missions. Its flying-wing configuration is optimized to cut back radar visibility, and several other modifications have been revamped time to additional decrease its radar signature.
The drone is provided with an AL-31 turbojet engine, able to reaching speeds as much as 620 mph [1000 km/h] and has an operational vary of round 3,700 miles [6000 km]. Superior sensor programs, together with electro-optical concentrating on, radar, and different reconnaissance units, enable it to carry out a wide selection of missions.
The S-70 is provided with two inner weapon bays that may carry as much as 6.2 tons [2.8 metric tons] of armaments, together with the identical missiles utilized by the Su-57 fighter, highlighting its position as a semi-autonomous “loyal wingman” to manned plane. When it comes to operational flexibility, the S-70 is designed to function in quite a lot of environments, having efficiently handed exams concentrating on camouflaged floor targets. Moreover, the drone has been examined with air-to-air missiles, showcasing its potential for multi-role missions in fight eventualities.
Its means to cooperate with the Su-57 fighter extends its radar and strike capabilities, making it a worthwhile asset for rising the operational vary of Russian air forces. The serial manufacturing and supply of the Hunter are anticipated to start quickly, and it’s anticipated to play a key position within the modernization of Russia’s air pressure and strategic operations.
On November 8, 2024, the Ukrainian Ministry of Protection’s Fundamental Intelligence Directorate reported the primary findings from the investigation of the Russian S-70 Hunter UAV that was downed on October 5, 2024, close to Konstantinovka within the Donetsk area.
In keeping with the report, the price of one such drone is about $15 million, which is roughly the value of an older F-16 fighter jet with out weapons. A complete of 4 prototypes have been produced, and the S-70 Hunter makes use of, specifically, elements from Western firms Analog Gadgets, Texas Devices and Xilinx-AMD [USA], Infineon Applied sciences [Germany], STMicroelectronics [Switzerland].
This value is 75 instances greater than the price of an Iranian Shahed drone, which is roughly $200,000. Apparently, the price of the S-70 Hunter is simply 15% greater than that of a Kh-101 cruise missile, which prices round $13 million.
This comparability is necessary because it supplies perception into the approximate prices and assets required by Russia’s military-industrial advanced to provide any such “unsanctioned” weapon. It additionally presents a glimpse into the monetary and strategic implications of changing a misplaced asset.
The comparability between the S-70 and the Kh-101 cruise missile is sensible, as each weapons make the most of sanctioned Western electronics. This highlights a shocking facet of the scenario: in line with Russian army financial requirements, producing a multi-purpose jet UAV that may carry guided air-to-ground weapons is simply 15% costlier than a single-use cruise missile. This means that a good portion of the price of producing airborne weaponry, no less than on this case, comes from “sanctioned” Western elements.
Sanctions imposed by Western nations doubtless restrict Russia’s entry to sure essential elements, together with superior microelectronics, sensor applied sciences, and software program essential for contemporary army programs. Whereas Russia has its personal capability to provide numerous elements, it stays depending on Western expertise, which is utilized in key elements of its weapons, comparable to radar and navigation programs. This dependency could pressure Russia to hunt various substitutes, which in the end raises the general price of the ultimate product.
One other speculation is that the present sanctions regime could have already reached the “ceiling” of its potential to extend Russia’s transactional prices in weapons manufacturing. If sanctions have restricted Russia’s entry to applied sciences and assets that may be imported, the nation could should concentrate on optimizing home manufacturing and decreasing dependence on exterior elements.
Though Russia continues to put money into superior developments, together with UAV applied sciences and stealth programs, the restricted availability of Western applied sciences may result in greater prices for its protection sector. This, in flip, may cut back the effectiveness of any efforts to scale up manufacturing.
These hypotheses underscore the significance of Russia’s unbiased efforts to beat the financial and technological obstacles imposed by sanctions, whereas concurrently displaying that the price of superior weapon programs, such because the S-70 Hunter, could be considerably influenced by exterior elements associated to technological dependency.
***
Observe us all over the place and at any time. BulgarianMilitary.com has responsive design and you’ll open the web page from any laptop, cell units or net browsers. For extra up-to-date information, comply with our Google Information, YouTube, Reddit, LinkedIn, Twitter and Fb pages. Our requirements: Manifesto & moral rules.
