Russian Ministry of Defence issued new video of the world’s most powerful combat unmanned aircraft – supersonic S-70 Okhotnik (Hunter). As seen on video, Russian UAV performed joint flight exercises with another hi-tech aircraft – Sukhoi Su-57 (also known as T-50, PAK FA).
Military experts have already noted that the Russia is ahead of the US in creating such combat systems: there are no NATO supersonic combat drones controlled from a fighter.
According to Russian Ministry of Defence sources, the stealth S-70 Okhotnik passed through enemy air defense during flght tests and successfully transferred target data to a pilot of Sukhoi Su-57 fighter. Russian 5-gen fighter was waiting for data while away from the enemy air defense zone and launched rocket using these data. The ground target was hit successfully. After mission was complete fighter and drone were recorded on video by an operator from another Russian combat aircraft.
The sensational appearance of S-70 and Su-57 on joint flight exercises confirms rumors earlier posted by some Western and Russian military blogs about future technology of joint combat use between new generation fighters and supersonic unmanned aerial vehicles developed by Sukhoi.
The same concept was introduced by the US Air Force in the mid-2000s but it was only an idea with no any practical realization.
Experts say the new Russian technology development helps to increase the fighter combat capabilities and it is the real step to 6-gen fighters.
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