Sukhoi refines Okhotnik design
The S-70 Okhotnik UCAV with redesigned jet thrust nozzle. (Photo: UAC)
A flat jet thrust nozzle on the S-70 Okhotnik is designed to reduce the UCAV’s radar cross-section.
Rostec announced on 14 December that the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has demonstrated its S-70 Okhotnik heavy strike UAV equipped with a flat jet thrust nozzle ‘for the first time’, in an event at the Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association Plant.
The flat nozzle reduces the radar signature of the S-70, said Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov. ‘In addition,’ he said, ‘a new ground control station is being created for the drone, designed to meet the army’s requirements. These solutions will significantly increase the capabilities of the aircraft.’
UAC company Sukhoi began work on Okhotnik in 2011, and the first 20-minute flight took place in August 2019 with a traditional jet nozzle on an experimental prototype.
Shephard Defence Insight notes a planned entry into service in 2024 for Okhotnik.
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