Fighter Sweep
  • Home
  • Military Aviation
  • Air Force
  • Navy
  • Spec Ops
  • Expert Analysis
  • Careers
  • Photos
Home Previous Post Next Post
Follow @fightersweep

Russia’s 20-ton ‘Hunter’ is supposed to be their first stealth UCAV

March 23, 2019
Alex Hollings No Comments Military Aviation, News

Last July, a single grainy image of Russia’s long-anticipated Okhotnik (Hunter) unmanned combat aerial vehicle hit the web, prompting a flurry of headlines speculating about the 20-ton drone’s potential as a low-observability platform that could offer the Russian military greater deep-penetration capabilities with their legacy bombers.

To give an arguably overly simplistic explanation of why Russia desperately needs a stealth combat platform, the Hunter UCAV would be used to enter contested airspace and engage anti-air assets (among other targets) to clear a path for the rest of Russia’s non-stealth aircraft. The United States leverages this same strategy when battle planning for war against nations with formidable air defenses. However, the U.S. relies on stealth bombers and fighters like the B-2 Spirit and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to take down enemy defenses and create a more permissible environment for other aircraft. With Russia’s “stealth” Su-57 all but dead in the water, the nation is once again without a reliable means of force projection inside contested air space.

Enter 20 tons’ worth of unmanned aerial vehicle: the Hunter. With a design that’s more than mildly reminiscent of Northrop Grumman’s technology demonstrator X-47B or Lockheed Martin’s RQ-170 Sentinel, this stealthy-looking drone might be just what Russia needs to stand and swing in regions ripe with anti-air assets, but then…maybe not.

Let’s be honest: This UCAV looks pretty impressive. With a wingspan that positively dwarfs the tractor towing it around, and what looks very much like a full-size jet fighter engine (potentially even providing this UCAV with an afterburner), it would be easy to consider the possibility that Russia may finally have a platform that warrants real concern rather than derision. A closer inspection of these photos, however, suggests that the Hunter UCAV may be just another half-hearted attempt at staying relevant in the era of ever-advancing defense technology.

Based on the sheer size of the platform and the appearance of the engine, this UCAV may not offer much more in the way of fuel efficiency than might be found in a high-quality, middle-weight, fourth-generation fighter. Its expansive wingspan and reduced weight—thanks to the omission of all the stuff you need for an onboard pilot—will grant it a bit more time in the air, but all told, this UCAV may not be capable of spending a lot of time loitering above combat zones like American platforms such as the MQ-9 Reaper. But then, loitering isn’t the only measure of a UCAV’s success.

Stealth is where the Hunter is really supposed to make its money, but stealth also seems to be where this platform is lacking the most. This image, taken from behind the UCAV, shows its jet nozzle sticking out of the back of the platform in a manner that would undoubtedly prompt a return on radar screens.

As for detecting the Hunter with thermals, the jet nozzle would once again compromise the platform, as its external nozzles offer direct line-of-sight detection like a fourth-generation fighter. As Tyler Rogoway at the War Zone points out, even the X-47B, which was fielded without the exhaust a production asset would have utilized, offered superior exhaust shrouding.

Of course, this may not be the final production model of the Hunter, and additional body work could help mitigate the rear nozzle’s effect on the platform’s radar signature, but if the Su-57’s questionable stealth is any indicator, Russia may settle for simply suggesting they have another stealthy platform rather than putting forth the money to actually make one.

About the Author

Alex Hollings Alex Hollings writes on a breadth of subjects ranging from fitness to foreign policy, all presented through the lens of his experiences as a U.S. Marine, athlete and scholar. A football player, rugby player and fighter, Hollings has spent the better part of his adult life competing in some of the most physically demanding sports on the planet. Hollings possesses a master's degree in communications from Southern New Hampshire University, as well as a bachelor's degree in Corporate and Organizational Communications from Framingham State University.

Related Posts

  • New images surface of Russia’s new stealthy combat drone and it doesn’t look very stealthy at allNew images surface of Russia’s new stealthy combat drone and it doesn’t look very stealthy at all
  • Who would win: American stealth aircraft or Russia’s advanced air defense systems?Who would win: American stealth aircraft or Russia’s advanced air defense systems?
  • The Air Force’s new stealth drone has a huge advantage over Russian and Chinese air defensesThe Air Force’s new stealth drone has a huge advantage over Russian and Chinese air defenses
  • Despite its 5th-generation failure, Russia touts plans for a ‘6th-generation’ fighterDespite its 5th-generation failure, Russia touts plans for a ‘6th-generation’ fighter
  • Russia postpones production of their would-be stealth fighter until 2020Russia postpones production of their would-be stealth fighter until 2020

Find Us on Facebook

FighterSweep.com

Sign Up
for the Newsletter

What’s Hot

  • Memorial Day California
    May 29, 2017

    The Meaning of Memorial Day

  • blue-angels-reporter-blacks-out-passes-out
    December 5, 2017

    Watch: News Reporter Blacks Out on Ride with US Navy Blue Angels

  • In Memoriam: First Lieutenant David "Jinxx" Mitchell
    August 13, 2019

    In Memoriam: Second Lieutenant David "Jinxx" Mitchell

Follow Us

Facebook Twitter Twitter

Recent Comments

  • pak152 " the team came up with what the Brits dubbed as Mustang, powered by a [...]
  • P K Polish AF never has and never will operate Su-27, An-26 aircraft has been out [...]
  • bnarfhyde The best book is also great. have a [...]
  • TerrorTrike ive never survived this long with such a clumsy FL- cG.866B.CO/NC6155hc
  • D4rksupeme yessss truck kunnnnnnnn i needddd you m.866E.CO/vC6155H

© Copyright 2023 SOFREP Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Advertisers
 

Loading Comments...