Russia’s S-70 stealth drone may not see combat anytime soon
Maya Carlin, a security writer at NI, argues that the Russian stealth drone, the S-70 Okhotnik, which has been in development for just over a year, may soon not see combat. She attributes this to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the prioritization of funding for existing weapons deemed more effective on the Ukrainian front.
The evidence certainly supports Carlin’s view. Initially, the Okhotnik was slated to enter serial production in the latter half of 2024. However, this timeline appears unlikely. As BulgarianMilitary.com highlights, the Russian Federation conducted its last known flight tests of the stealth drone in February.
On February 4, Sergey Somka, a representative from the Novosibirsk regional government, noted that the S-70 was nearing the final stages of testing, with production expected to commence in the second half of the year. “This development signals Russia’s notable advancements in unmanned technology and underscores the nation’s commitment and capability toward military modernization,” Somka stated at the time.