# Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B (Сухой С-70 «Охотник-Б»)
The **Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B** (Сухой С-70 «Охотник-Б", "Hunter-B") is a Russian heavy unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) built as a tailless flying wing by the Sukhoi Design Bureau, with RSK MiG, and intended to fly alongside the Su-57 fighter in a manned-unmanned teaming role. It first flew on 3 August 2019, and on 5 October 2024 one example was shot down by a Russian fighter over Ukrainian-held territory near Kostiantynivka, the type's first publicly documented combat loss.[1](https://tass.com/defense/1071784?wpmobileexternal=true) • [2](https://www.twz.com/air/russias-s-70-hunter-drone-was-armed-when-shot-down-by-friendly-fighter-over-ukraine)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Role | Heavy strike and reconnaissance UCAV, positioned as a "loyal wingman" for the Su-57 fighter[3](https://en.defence-ua.com/weapon_and_tech/capabilities_of_the_s_70_okhotnik_stealth_combat_drones_will_russia_achieve_mass_production-12095.html) |
| First flight | 3 August 2019, a flight of over 20 minutes at 600 m altitude under operator control[1](https://tass.com/defense/1071784?wpmobileexternal=true) |
| Size and weight | Wingspan about 19 m; takeoff weight up to 20 tons (some sources up to 25 tons); internal payload about 2 tons[3](https://en.defence-ua.com/weapon_and_tech/capabilities_of_the_s_70_okhotnik_stealth_combat_drones_will_russia_achieve_mass_production-12095.html) |
| Engine | Non-afterburning AL-31FP (74.5 kN dry) or AL-41F-1S (76 kN dry) turbofan with a flat, low-signature nozzle on later prototypes[4](https://www.fpri.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/russian-military-drones-.pdf) |
| Range | Over 3,500 km according to some sources, up to 6,000 km[3](https://en.defence-ua.com/weapon_and_tech/capabilities_of_the_s_70_okhotnik_stealth_combat_drones_will_russia_achieve_mass_production-12095.html) |
| Production status | Serial production repeatedly delayed, from 2023 to 2024 and then 2025; only a few prototypes are known to exist[5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoLgh-owcsg) • [6](https://rima.media/en/document/032UsPxBbiRdMKu7Iq7b5e-2026-01-09-theins-514595-rossiia-vozobnovila-ispytaniia-prototipov-bpla-s-70-okhotnik?version=translated) |
| Combat loss | Shot down by a Russian fighter, reportedly a Su-57, near Kostiantynivka on 5 October 2024 while carrying a UMPB D-30SN glide bomb[2](https://www.twz.com/air/russias-s-70-hunter-drone-was-armed-when-shot-down-by-friendly-fighter-over-ukraine) |
## Development
Work on the Okhotnik program has been underway at the Sukhoi Design Bureau since 2011.[7](https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft-maintenance-technology/aircraft-technology/unmanned/press-release/21251794/rostec-uac-rolls-out-the-okhotnik-uav-with-a-flat-jet-nozzle) The program grew out of the Mikoyan Skat flying-wing attack drone project, which had been suspended for lack of funding; in 2011 the knowledge from Skat was folded into a joint effort between MiG and the larger Sukhoi design bureau.[8](https://www.iai.it/sites/default/files/iai2324.pdf) A first mock-up for ground testing was built in 2014, and a prototype was photographed in July 2017.[9](https://envantermedya.com/en/turkiye-russia-drone-programmes/)
The first prototype made its maiden flight on 3 August 2019 at a military test airfield, flying for over 20 minutes at 600 m before landing.[1](https://tass.com/defense/1071784?wpmobileexternal=true) On 27 September 2019 the same prototype flew jointly with a Su-57 fifth-generation fighter, a flight lasting more than 30 minutes.[7](https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft-maintenance-technology/aircraft-technology/unmanned/press-release/21251794/rostec-uac-rolls-out-the-okhotnik-uav-with-a-flat-jet-nozzle) A second, more refined airframe was rolled out at the Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association in December 2021, featuring a flat jet nozzle and a generally cleaner airframe.[8](https://www.iai.it/sites/default/files/iai2324.pdf) • [7](https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft-maintenance-technology/aircraft-technology/unmanned/press-release/21251794/rostec-uac-rolls-out-the-okhotnik-uav-with-a-flat-jet-nozzle)
## Design and signature reduction
The S-70 is a large, tailless flying wing made largely of composite materials with a radar-absorbing coating, designed to reduce its radar signature.[1](https://tass.com/defense/1071784?wpmobileexternal=true) Its engine air intake sits on the upper fuselage, and computer models shown on Russian television suggest a deep S-shaped duct intended to hide the engine fan face from radar.[10](https://www.twz.com/42627/this-is-our-most-detailed-look-at-russias-s-70-unmanned-combat-air-vehicle-to-date) The airframe carries internal weapons bays.[8](https://www.iai.it/sites/default/files/iai2324.pdf)
**The exhaust problem.** The first prototype's round, exposed nozzle was a significant infrared source and radar reflector that undermined the flying wing's signature reduction.[11](https://www.uasfeed.com/article/russia-s70-okhotnik-explained) The second prototype introduced a flat jet nozzle, which Rostec described as the model's main feature for reducing radar signature; Sergei Kuzmin, a deputy general designer at the Motor Design Bureau, said the flat nozzle allows more efficient dissipation of the engine's heat trace.[7](https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft-maintenance-technology/aircraft-technology/unmanned/press-release/21251794/rostec-uac-rolls-out-the-okhotnik-uav-with-a-flat-jet-nozzle) • [12](https://jamestown.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Russias-Path-to-the-High-Tech-Battlespace-full-text-web.pdf)
The rectangular nozzle requires an engine without an afterburner to fit its dimensions. The first trial units used AL-31FP engines developed in the early 1980s, later replaced by the AL-41F-1S produced by ODK-UMPO in Ufa and used in the [Su-35](https://www.edgepedia.org/sukhoi-su-35) and Su-57. Without an afterburner, the AL-31FP delivers 74.5 kN (7,600 kgf) and the AL-41F-1S 76 kN (7,770 kgf) of maximum thrust.[4](https://www.fpri.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/russian-military-drones-.pdf) Sukhoi representatives told Russian television that the UCAV was not expected to be fast or maneuverable, relying instead on its low-observable characteristics.[10](https://www.twz.com/42627/this-is-our-most-detailed-look-at-russias-s-70-unmanned-combat-air-vehicle-to-date)
## Armament and teaming with the Su-57
The drone has internal weapons compartments and, in 2022, reportedly conducted weapons-separation trials with unguided and precision-guided bombs and missiles from the second airframe.[8](https://www.iai.it/sites/default/files/iai2324.pdf) Its internal payload is about 2 tons; Russian claims of up to 8 tons presumably rely on external suspension, but the Okhotnik has never been observed carrying pylons.[3](https://en.defence-ua.com/weapon_and_tech/capabilities_of_the_s_70_okhotnik_stealth_combat_drones_will_russia_achieve_mass_production-12095.html)
Russian sources have presented the S-70 as a "loyal wingman" operating in network-centric interaction with the Su-57, with the stated plan being for a single Su-57 to coordinate up to four Okhotnik-Bs, and a two-seat Su-57 variant designed for drone control.[8](https://www.iai.it/sites/default/files/iai2324.pdf) • [13](https://tass.com/defense/1318025?wpappninja_v=gcp7hl79k%2Famp) Analysts note, however, that the subsonic, long-endurance S-70 tethered to the shorter-range, supersonic Su-57 prevents each type from fully exploiting its own performance, and that genuine teaming would require deep integration into a common information-combat system with substantial autonomy.[8](https://www.iai.it/sites/default/files/iai2324.pdf) • [3](https://en.defence-ua.com/weapon_and_tech/capabilities_of_the_s_70_okhotnik_stealth_combat_drones_will_russia_achieve_mass_production-12095.html) Public information about the drone's autonomy, networking, and actual fighter-teaming capability remains limited.[14](https://www.itechguides.com/10-combat-loyal-wingman-drones-built-to-scout-and-protect-fighter-jets/)
## The 5 October 2024 loss
On 5 October 2024, videos posted online showed a Russian fighter, reported to be a Su-57 though the type could not be positively ascertained from the footage, shooting down an S-70 at high altitude near Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region, reportedly about 10 miles behind Ukrainian lines.[15](https://www.janes.com/defence-intelligence-insights/defence-news/air/ukraine-conflict-shootdown-reveals-russian-stealth-drone-operating-over-ukraine) • [2](https://www.twz.com/air/russias-s-70-hunter-drone-was-armed-when-shot-down-by-friendly-fighter-over-ukraine) Russian news channels quoted unnamed defense ministry officials saying the drone had malfunctioned during a test and evaluation flight and was shot down for safety reasons; there was no official comment from the Russian MoD at the time.[15](https://www.janes.com/defence-intelligence-insights/defence-news/air/ukraine-conflict-shootdown-reveals-russian-stealth-drone-operating-over-ukraine) The burning aircraft crashed in a residential area, setting a house on fire, and the wreckage was recovered by Ukrainian forces.[2](https://www.twz.com/air/russias-s-70-hunter-drone-was-armed-when-shot-down-by-friendly-fighter-over-ukraine)
Photographs of the wreckage showed the nose section of at least one [UMPB D-30SN](https://www.edgepedia.org/umpb-d-30sn) precision-guided glide bomb, a weapon not previously known to be part of the S-70's arsenal, indicating the drone was engaged in operational trials or combat use rather than a purely technical test flight.[2](https://www.twz.com/air/russias-s-70-hunter-drone-was-armed-when-shot-down-by-friendly-fighter-over-ukraine) Although much of the aircraft was destroyed, an outer wing landed largely intact and the engine survived mostly in one piece; a former Pentagon official said the wreckage could provide insight into Russian drone and stealth technology, while noting that the visible remains did not obviously show advanced low-observable technology.[16](https://www.airandspaceforces.com/why-russia-shot-down-s-70-drone-ukraine/)
As far as is known, four flight models were built: the lead S-70-1 with the AL-41F-1S engine, and S-70-2, S-70-3, and S-70-4 with flat nozzles and the AL-41 afterburning engine. The aircraft lost over Ukraine was identified as the S-70-4.[6](https://rima.media/en/document/032UsPxBbiRdMKu7Iq7b5e-2026-01-09-theins-514595-rossiia-vozobnovila-ispytaniia-prototipov-bpla-s-70-okhotnik?version=translated)
## Production status and later testing
The production schedule has slipped repeatedly. In 2020 Russia's United Aircraft Corporation set a goal of starting S-70 production in 2023, which later shifted to 2024 and then 2025; state tests began in mid-2023, and a source close to the Russian aerospace forces command said trials were to be completed by the end of 2023 with mass production and deliveries from 2024.[5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoLgh-owcsg) • [17](https://tass.com/defense/1658135) Whether mass production actually began in the second half of 2024 is unknown.[6](https://rima.media/en/document/032UsPxBbiRdMKu7Iq7b5e-2026-01-09-theins-514595-rossiia-vozobnovila-ispytaniia-prototipov-bpla-s-70-okhotnik?version=translated) The estimated unit cost has been reported at 30 to 50 million US dollars depending on configuration and equipment.[18](https://www.huffingtonpost.es/global/rusia-clona-temido-dron-eeuu-bombas-ocultas.html)
In 2025, Russia resumed testing prototypes: the second prototype, S-70-2, appeared at least three times in satellite photographs of the Chkalov State Flight Test Center, on 22 April, 27 August, and 14 October, wearing camouflage resembling the Su-57's coloring.[6](https://rima.media/en/document/032UsPxBbiRdMKu7Iq7b5e-2026-01-09-theins-514595-rossiia-vozobnovila-ispytaniia-prototipov-bpla-s-70-okhotnik?version=translated) Ukrainian sanctions-tracking records also list numerous foreign components in the S-70, including motor-driver and transceiver chips from Maxim Integrated Products ([Analog Devices](https://www.edgepedia.org/analog-devices)) of the United States.[19](https://war-sanctions.gur.gov.ua/en/uav/327)
## References
1. [Russian heavy strike drone Okhotnik makes first flight, TASS, 3 August 2019](https://tass.com/defense/1071784?wpmobileexternal=true)
2. [Russia's S-70 Hunter Drone Was Armed When Shot Down By Friendly Fighter Over Ukraine, The War Zone](https://www.twz.com/air/russias-s-70-hunter-drone-was-armed-when-shot-down-by-friendly-fighter-over-ukraine)
3. [Capabilities of the S-70 Okhotnik Stealth Combat Drones: Will russia Achieve Mass Production?, Defense Express, 6 October 2024](https://en.defence-ua.com/weapon_and_tech/capabilities_of_the_s_70_okhotnik_stealth_combat_drones_will_russia_achieve_mass_production-12095.html)
4. [Russian Military Drones, Foreign Policy Research Institute, November 2023](https://www.fpri.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/russian-military-drones-.pdf)
5. [Full-scale production of the S-70 Okhotnik stealth UCAV will begin in 2024, Military Coverage (YouTube), 26 January 2024](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoLgh-owcsg)
6. [Russia has resumed testing prototypes of the S-70 Okhotnik UAV, The Insider via RIMA, 9 January 2026](https://rima.media/en/document/032UsPxBbiRdMKu7Iq7b5e-2026-01-09-theins-514595-rossiia-vozobnovila-ispytaniia-prototipov-bpla-s-70-okhotnik?version=translated)
7. [UAC Rolls Out the Okhotnik UAV with a Flat Jet Nozzle, Rostec via Aviation Pros, 3 January 2022](https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft-maintenance-technology/aircraft-technology/unmanned/press-release/21251794/rostec-uac-rolls-out-the-okhotnik-uav-with-a-flat-jet-nozzle)
8. [Above and Beyond: State of the Art of Uncrewed Combat Aerial Systems and Future Perspectives, IAI Documenti 24|19, December 2023](https://www.iai.it/sites/default/files/iai2324.pdf)
9. [Türkiye and Russia's Drone Programmes: Why Russia Lagged, Envanter](https://envantermedya.com/en/turkiye-russia-drone-programmes/)
10. [This Is Our Most Detailed Look At Russia's S-70 Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle To Date, The War Zone](https://www.twz.com/42627/this-is-our-most-detailed-look-at-russias-s-70-unmanned-combat-air-vehicle-to-date)
11. [Russia's S-70 Okhotnik: Inside the Stealth UCAV That Shot Itself Down, UAS Feed](https://www.uasfeed.com/article/russia-s70-okhotnik-explained)
12. [Russia's Path to the High-Tech Battlespace, Jamestown Foundation, 2022](https://jamestown.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Russias-Path-to-the-High-Tech-Battlespace-full-text-web.pdf)
13. [Two-seat Su-57 fighter jet to be designed for control of Okhotnik drones, TASS](https://tass.com/defense/1318025?wpappninja_v=gcp7hl79k%2Famp)
14. [10 Combat Loyal Wingman Drones Built to Scout and Protect Fighter Jets, ITechGuides](https://www.itechguides.com/10-combat-loyal-wingman-drones-built-to-scout-and-protect-fighter-jets/)
15. [Ukraine conflict: Shootdown reveals Russian 'stealth drone' operating over Ukraine, Janes](https://www.janes.com/defence-intelligence-insights/defence-news/air/ukraine-conflict-shootdown-reveals-russian-stealth-drone-operating-over-ukraine)
16. [Why Russia Shot Down Its Own S-70 Drone Over Ukraine, Air & Space Forces Magazine](https://www.airandspaceforces.com/why-russia-shot-down-s-70-drone-ukraine/)
17. [Government trials of Okhotnik heavy combat drone to be over by yearend, TASS, 8 August 2023](https://tass.com/defense/1658135)
18. [Rusia clona el temido dron de EEUU con bombas ocultas, HuffPost España, 8 October 2024](https://www.huffingtonpost.es/global/rusia-clona-temido-dron-eeuu-bombas-ocultas.html)
19. [S-70 "Ohotnik", War & Sanctions, Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine](https://war-sanctions.gur.gov.ua/en/uav/327)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Transport and spaceflight › Aviation › Aircraft › Experimental and advanced aircraft › Unmanned aircraft and drones › Stealth and low-observable UAVs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
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