On October 5, 2024, russia shot down their own S-70 Okhotnik unmanned combat aerial vehicle as it flew west over the front lines. It is likely that russia lost control of the UCAV and took the decision to destroy the aircraft to avoid it falling into adversary hands, the UK Defense Intelligence reports.
The S-70 vehicle has been in development for at least a decade, testing at russia’s Akhtubinsk airbase. A key attribute of the S-70 vehicle is its reduced radar cross section which is intended to make it a stealth deep-strike asset, potentially capable of penetrating adversary radar and air-defense coverage. The system is purported to be able to operate jointly with the Su-57 fighter.
Read more: The UK Defense Intelligence Reports on russia’s Plans in Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk Regions
It is likely russia waited to the last moment before choosing to engage the UCAV having exhausted attempts to bring it back under control. This demonstrates yet another expensive and embarrassing failure of russian weapons development and will almost certainly delay the S-70 programme.
Read more: The UK Defense Intelligence Predicts russia’s Next Targets Following Vuhledar Capture
