Russia Flies New Stealth Fighter and Stealth Drone Side by Side

[dukkha]

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/bu...ide-side-84411
Russia’s new S-70 “Okhotnik-B” heavy stealth unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has flown for the first time alongside the Su-57 fifth-generation stealth fighter, highlighting a combat support role intended to expand the Su-57’s capabilities while shoring up its shortcomings.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced that the joint flight took place earlier this week: “As part of the ongoing test program, the Okhotnik drone performed a flight in the automated mode in its full configuration, entering the airborne alert area.” The Defense Ministry statement was accompanied by a one-minute clip of a Su-57 and B-2 shaped Okhotnik drone flying side-by-side in several close-up shots. Though the video itself is fairly nondescript, the statement sheds further light on the purpose of the flight: the 30-minute exercise was intended to “broaden the [Su-57] fighter’s radar coverage and to provide target acquisition for employing air-launched weapons.”

A defense industry source has told TASS state news that this is the first of several, increasingly complex exercises meant to test and refine Okhotnik’s ability to execute tasks in a “partially autonomous mode.” Sukhoi engineers are also reportedly evaluating the feasibility of fully autonomous flight routines from takeoff to landing.

Formally unveiled at the ARMY-2019 exhibition held outside Moscow earlier this summer, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov told Russian state news that the first, serially-produced S-70 units will enter service in 2025. The Okhotnik drone is being designed with a substantial stealth component, featuring composite surfaces coated with radar-absorbent materials. At the same time, it boasts a jet fighter-grade AL-31F or AL-41F engine that supports a maximum speed of up to 1,000 km/h.

[moon]

Stunning. Just imagine if they turned all this technology and expertise to something useful.

[Jack]

Comrade Dukkha. Are you still working out of the Petrograd Field Office?

[dukkha]

Stunning. Just imagine if they turned all this technology and expertise to something useful.

well without freaking NATO expansion there would not be the current arms race -for sure
Cold War 2.0 is dangerous and a resources hog

[dukkha]

These stealth and speed features are necessary preconditions for Okhotnik to be able to travel safely alongside the Su-57. However, what makes the S-70 such a potent “loyal wingman” drone is the way that its versatile avionics suite can complement the Su-57’s powerful raw performance capabilities.
Su-57 trades certain cutting-edge avionics features for unparalleled air superiority performance.

There are several ways that Okhotnik can mitigate the adverse tradeoffs implicit in the Su-57’s design.
Okhotnik feeds the Su-57 pilot information in real-time to generate a dynamic picture of the battlefield, functioning as an automated data processing center in the spirit of the F-35’s sensor fusion doctrine.
In particular, the Su-57 can receive targeting information from Okhotnik to cue its very long-range R-37 missiles while remaining far outside hostile airspace.
Okhotnik’s armament suite is currently unknown, but the UAV possesses two internal weapon bays that Russian defense commentators speculate can be used to carry out low-risk preemptive strikes against missile defense systems.
The two aircraft will be able to communicate by satellite link, thus eliminating range and line-of-sight limitations.

Deputy Prime Minister Borisov’s office maintains that the S-70 is not so much a finished product as a “universal baseline platform,” to be tweaked and expanded over the course of its serial production. What is clear, however, is that the Russian defense sector is aggressively pursuing Su-57 integration as one of Okhotnik’s core design pillars.

[cancel2 2022]

well without freaking NATO expansion there would not be the current arms race -for sure
Cold War 2.0 is dangerous and a resources hog

The Su-57 is not in serial production because they've not finished the engine for it. It is flying on an upgraded engine from the Su-35S, so it cannot be considered a fifth-generation aircraft yet even by Russian standards.

https://www.businessinsider.com/comp...-planes-2018-3

[dukkha]

Brown: What do you think overall of the Su-57?

Kofman: I think it's a stealthier aircraft than your typical fourth-generation design. I don't think it matches the stealth capability of the F-22 or F-35, nor does it match the price tag of them. I think it's a poor man's stealth aircraft. I think it'll be a very capable platform. I don't think it'll match or compete the low-observation parameters of US aircraft.

It will definitely be a step above a fourth-generation aircraft — in terms of how maneuverable it is,
Russian aircraft are always quite capable, very maneuverable.

The F-22 is actually really good in maneuverability too. The F-35 not so much, but the F-22 is actually a brilliant aircraft. We still have a lot of them. But the Su-57 is not meant to be a direct competitor to the F-22 or F-35.

Brown: That's how Russia seems to be marketing it.

Kofman: Yeah, I'm sure someone thinks their Honda Civic is better than a BMW.

Here's the thing you got to understand:
Is there a fifth-generation market out there? Where can you go to get a fifth-generation aircraft? The US is very tight on technology with the F-35. The only other people that have one in development is the Chinese.

So here's the real question: Is the Su-57 better than the J-20?

Brown: Is the Su-57 better than the J-20?

Kofman: Well, it's certainly far — if not further — along in technology design.

Here's what it's important: At the core of every plane is the engine — it's all about the engine. Everything else may be interesting, but it's all about the engine.

The Su-57 is not in serial production because they've not finished the engine for it. It is flying on an upgraded engine from the Su-35S, so it cannot be considered a fifth-generation aircraft yet even by Russian standards.

Now, is it low-observable relative to the Su-35? Yes. Is it low-observable relative to F-35? Doubtful. But you know what, if it was, probably no one would be able to afford it, least of all Russia. Don't let the best be the enemy of the affordable.
~~
excellent article -thanks do much. it covers the Chinese J-20 as well.

But this shows pairing the drone with the Su-57 is at least a capable platform against the JSF -35

[moon]

In all military bragging rights- why show quads when a boat wins it ?

[dukkha]

In all military bragging rights- why show quads when a boat wins it ?

weapons systems are literally power projection as well as instruments of war.
For ex we need a vastly superior fleet, because our Navy has worldwide commitments

I'm not an expert on what is 4th or 5th generation but we know Russia and China are answering our F-35
and 'knowing that- we'll do this'- etc. etc... and the beat goes on...

[Bigdog]

A little saber rattling from the Ruskies. Nice planes.

All the more reason to develop the Space Force.

Speaking of space, in one of the new Star Trek moves, the Enterprise is attacked by a million small drones and destroyed. I do think mass attacks with small drones will be the next battle frontier.

[dukkha]

A I do think mass attacks with small drones will be the next battle frontier.

China Is Hard At Work Developing Swarms Of Small Drones With Big Military Applications
Terrorist have shown the threat of swarm attacks is real, but nations such as China can make them much more dangerous.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...ultiple-levels
Being networked together, and being autonomous in nature after being loaded with a target area location, along with other mission parameters, these swarms will be extremely hard to defend against using even the best SHORAD systems in development today. It's the saturation nature of the attack, the size of the attackers, and the fact that they work as a coordinated swarm, employing dynamic tactics to see as many in their company survive long enough to make their suicidal attack, that make them so deadly. They could even drop micro-munitions and be reused for a later attack. Just the knowledge that such an attack is possible would be psychologically stressful and demoralizing for troops on the ground.

Similar swarming strikes could be unleashed behind the front lines as well, with hugely expensive and low density/high demand combat aircraft being especially vulnerable to this sort of tactic—something General James Holmes alluded to inadvertently while speaking to the Air Force Association, stating:

"Imagine a world where somebody flies a couple hundred of those and flies one down the intake of my F-22s with just a small weapon on it."

“Actually, it would be even easier to just strike the jets as they sit idle and vulnerable on the flight line. One swarm could see a whole squadron of tightly packed fighters destroyed without even having a chance to fight back.”

[Bigdog]

China Is Hard At Work Developing Swarms Of Small Drones With Big Military Applications
Terrorist have shown the threat of swarm attacks is real, but nations such as China can make them much more dangerous.

As we all know,during WWII, a swarm of hundreds of planes could overwhelm the defenses of an aircraft carrier and sink it.

[dukkha]

As we all know,during WWII, a swarm of hundreds of planes could overwhelm the defenses of an aircraft carrier and sink it.

The stand-off F-35 fighter capabilities mitigate a lot of defensive counter-attack,
but swarms would be like locusts where sheer numbers become the attack

[moon]

A little saber rattling from the Ruskies. Nice planes.

All the more reason to develop the Space Force.

Speaking of space, in one of the new Star Trek moves, the Enterprise is attacked by a million small drones and destroyed. I do think mass attacks with small drones will be the next battle frontier.

All the more reason for destroying satellites.
Hey- your McDonalds delivery drone won't be able to find you !

[Bigdog]

All the more reason for destroying satellites.
Hey- your McDonalds delivery drone won't be able to find you !

I see you're still butthurt over the last ass whooping I handed you.

Delivery drones may find limited applications, ... but they won't be integrated into society on a massive scale