The russian S-70 Okhotnik heavy unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) could become a "partner," or loyal wingman, for the Su-30SM, according to retired russian pilot Major General Vladimir Popov, who spoke to a pro-Kremlin media outlet.
In his view, manned aviation will remain a priority for air forces over the next 50 years. At the same time, unmanned systems will continue to develop in parallel and "will perform no worse, and possibly better, than manned platforms."
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The proposal to pair the Okhotnik with the Su-30SM rather than the Su-57, for which it was originally designed, is linked to the Su-30SM’s two-seat configuration. One pilot would focus on flying the aircraft, while the second would manage drone operations. In contrast, the single-seat Su-57 would place the entire workload on one pilot. It is worth recalling that russia has previously patented a two-seat version of the Su-57.
In essence, Moscow is seeking to mirror the U.S. loyal wingman approach under the CCA initiative, which envisions unmanned combat aircraft operating in coordination with crewed fighters.
In the United States, CCA drones are primarily intended to complement future sixth-generation aircraft. However, they are also expected to operate with existing fifth-generation fighters such as the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, and potentially even with multirole aircraft like the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
At the same time, despite russia’s efforts to promote the Su-57 as a fifth-generation fighter, it does not fully meet all corresponding criteria. Moreover, building an effective aircraft-drone teaming architecture is a complex undertaking that may take years before reaching operational maturity.
Only last year did a pilot, for the first time, simultaneously control an F-22 in flight together with a companion drone, the MQ-20 Avenger. Earlier this year, at least one additional such flight reportedly took place.
Previously, Defense Express reported that the United States unveiled a long-anticipated modernization of the F-22 dubbed Raptor 2.0, a configuration claimed to outperform both the Su-57 and China’s Chengdu J-20.
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