Russia Touts New “Hunter” Stealth Attack Drone
By David M. Edwards B.S, M.B.A.
(David’s LinkedIn Professional Profile can be viewed by clicking here.)
Photograph Source: https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/08/europe/russia-hunter-drone-scli-intl/
First reported by Jack Guy of Cable News Network (C.N.N.) on Thursday August 8, 2019, Russia’s Ministry of Defense released a video of an Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (U.C.A.V.) on its Twitter page.
Photograph Souce: https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/08/europe/russia-hunter-drone-scli-intl/
The Russian news agency TASS reported the fully loaded (twenty [20] ton [40,000 pounds {lbs}]) “Hunter” U.C.A.V. Su-70 known as “Okhotnik” in Russian conducted its first test flight at a Russian military airfield on Saturday August 3, 2019, according to Guy (2019).
TASS states the “Okhotnik” has stealth capabilities with a jet engine propelling the drone to an airspeed of 620 miles per hour (m.p.h.), according to Guy (2019). Russia’s Ministry of Defense told TASS, the “Okhotnik“ has an anti-radar coating and surveillance equipment (Guy, 2019). TASS reported the first 20 minute flight of the “Hunter” will be followed with additional test flights to implement autonomous flight capabilites, according to Guy (2019).
Drones have been developed for some time and have been used as both surveillance assets and offensive attack assets. Mathieu Boulegue, a “Russia expert” at the London, United Kingdon (U.K.) based Royal Institute of International Affairs “Think Tank” Chatham House stated Russia only started drone development 10-15 years ago and is comming to the market late, according to Guy (2019). Additionally, the “Hunter” would not likely be used in combat scenarios but could be utilized in a “second strike” Guy (2019).
Reference:
Guy, J. (2019, August 8). Russia Has Released Footage Of Its New ‘Hunter‘ Stealth Attack
Drone. http://www.Cnn.com
Accessed on August 16, 2019.
Retrieved from:
https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/08/europe/russia-hunter-drone-scli-intl/
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