Russia reveals stealth UCAV specialized in destroying enemy air defenses

Russian media said that images of Hunter were released when this UCAV participated in the first test jointly conducted by the manufacturer and the Russian Air Force in late 2018. However, they have only been released now.

The first tests were carried out at the runway of the Novosibirsk Aviation Plant when the UAV was able to run at speeds of up to 200km/h.

Based on initial information disclosed by the manufacturer, the Hunter is designed to be fully automated in performing the following operations: autonomously moving to take-off position, taxiing, accelerating, and stopping at the end of the runway.

According to the test plan, the first flight of the 6th generation stealth UCAV will be carried out by the end of 2019. In the next testing phase, this heavy UCAV will take off a few meters into the air and immediately land.

After these successful test flights, the first flight will be made. If all goes according to plan, mass production will take place in mid-2020.

Based on the information available, expert Denis Fetudinov told the Southfront website that Hunter is designed in the style of a "flying wing" using stealth technology. This UCAV has three wheeled landing gears, a jet engine, and weighs about 20 tons.

The UCAV's attack targets are enemy air defense systems, command posts, and communications centers. These targets are often heavily defended by air defense systems, posing a danger to piloted aircraft. Therefore, with its extreme stealth capabilities, Hunter will launch a surprise attack that leaves the enemy unable to react.

In particular, Hunter is also synchronized with the Su-57 stealth fighter - one of the few stealth fighters highly appreciated by the West. The source confirmed that the Russian UCAV has the ability to automatically conduct flights, perform missions and return to the take-off airport - this is a feature not available on any UCAV in the world.

Some images of Russia testing UCAV Hunter

Dan Nguyen