Why did Russia just shoot down its own S-70 Hunter drone over Ukraine?

The S-70 is a heavy tactical attack and reconnaissance drone with some barely noticeable (stealth) features. It was also planned to be able to take part in air-to-air combat. Independent missions and those in combination with other manned and unmanned aircraft are planned for this type.

The battle occurred near Konstantynivka in Donetsk, reportedly about 10 miles behind Ukrainian lines. Video shot from the ground shows one jet shooting at another at close range and then a shattered flying wing falling to the ground. Images and videos of the wreckage make it undeniable that it was indeed an S-70.

While we can't say for sure at this point, it appears to be one of the earlier demonstrator aircraft that first came onto the market in early 2019, or one built to a similar specification and significantly less sophisticated than a refined variant with improved visibility under low observation (stealth) features was introduced in 2021.

Some claim a Su-57 Felon shot down the plane. We can't confirm that at this point, but that would make sense since the two programs are directly linked and tests of cooperation – albeit rudimentary – between the two “loyal wingmen” have been underway well before the all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022 were. Before the invasion, Russia claimed that the Hunter-B should be operational by 2024. What exactly the definition of “ready for action” was is not known.

Although it is not entirely clear what led to one Russian aircraft shooting down another, the most likely answer is that the S-70 was used operationally as part of its ongoing development – which has likely slowed significantly since the start of the war. and particularly in support of the war effort. Russia often sends its new equipment to combat zones to test it and mobilize support for potential export opportunities.

The Russian Air Force has suffered heavy losses and is threatened in the air by long-range air defense systems and on the ground by marauding Ukrainian drones. Even if the S-70 program has slowed down, it would make sense to bring existing examples into combat use, as above all it offers range and the lack of a pilot on board certainly makes it less risky when operating close to the front. Its barely visible features might make it less vulnerable to air defense, but to what extent is that the case? high questionable. It's also possible that it was never intended to get close to Ukrainian airspace at all along the front.

So why shoot it down? The best answer is that the operators lost control of the aircraft and it entered airspace over enemy territory. System failures can occur and we are talking about a very dense electronic warfare combat environment. This is not an uncommon reality for testing new advanced unmanned aerial technologies or even for operations of existing types in hostile and harmless areas. Self-destruct devices, or more commonly fighter aircraft, prepared to shoot down the drone if it poses a danger to others or a security risk, are a normal emergency. The US has had to do this several times when its drones failed, for example during the Global War on Terror. A very sensitive drone like the S-70, lost deep in Ukrainian territory and possibly crashing in a semi-intact state, would be a major problem for Russia, both technologically and visually, so the decision was apparently made to destroy it. For example, we can all remember how the US lost its far more secret RQ-170 to Iran in 2011.

What is also surprising is the fact that this happened on Ukrainian territory. First of all, the air defense over this region is extremely robust and poses a major threat to anything flying close to the front, especially at high altitudes. It is somewhat confusing that the S-70 and the fighter survived long enough to complete the shoot down in this area. Maybe it's a testament to their designs and Russia's electronic warfare capabilities, or maybe they just nailed it very Luckily, we just don't know. In Russia's eyes, however, the risk was clearly worth it.

Working closer to the front with a Su-57 would make some sense, as it is more capable of doing so than anything Russia has in inventory, but it also suggests a huge risk that Russia can take to to bring these aircraft into use. Beyond kinetic actions, given Russia's limited advanced reconnaissance capabilities in contested areas, the ability to collect airborne intelligence so close to the front lines using advanced sensors alone could have been considered a worthwhile risk. Again, it is possible that they were never intended to be near the front lines and the decision to shoot down the S-70 came late, or that the Su-57 rushed in for this purpose and initially operated well behind the S-70. Regardless, it was very risky. If large parts of a Su-57 fell into the hands of Western secret services, that would be a problem large act.

Still, the wreckage of the S-70 represents perhaps the most tempting foreign material exploitation (FME) opportunity in the conflict, and there have been many of them to date. It also makes sense why large pieces would be thrown away as quickly as possible, because if Russia could geolocate the wreckage, it would certainly try to hit it, probably with an Iskander-M ballistic missile to destroy it as quickly as possible destroy. But unless a lower-end drone detects it, and barring a few other caveats, Russia's targeting cycles are notoriously slow.

Not long after the invasion began, there was talk that the Su-57 and S-70 – both of which exist in small numbers – would be used on a limited basis. It is difficult to analyze which of these reports are accurate and which are not, but some of them have been confirmed by Western intelligence agencies. This incident clearly demonstrates Russia's willingness to commit these valuable assets to the war effort, or at least bring them close enough to these activities where contingencies like this would be put in place and executed when necessary.

The S-70 aircraft are largely based at the Akhtubinsk Air Base. This is Russia's most important testing facility for tactical jet flights and an airfield that fell victim to Ukrainian drone attacks. It is not clear whether the S-70 was flying from this location or was forward deployed for operations in Ukraine, but since the base is about 365 miles from combat operations, it would be well within the drone's suspected combat radius. Still, it's worth noting that high-resolution satellite images taken of the facility multiple times in the second half of September do not show the S-70 aircraft on the ramp. This may be because they are in the hangar or deployed forward.

As for Russian mibloggers on this incident, many are angry that these planes were in such a densely defended area. Others confirm that the S-70 was shot down due to a flaw in its command and control architecture during a combat evaluation. The fighter-bomber, who has good connections with the Russian Air Force, explains:

“It is clear that the GLIC is now being thrashed in all its facets.

You basically screwed up a serial ochotnik. (This is indicated by the color scheme, only standard UAVs are painted like this)

At the same time, it is difficult to understand what happened to the UAV, since it landed in the territory controlled by the Hohols. This means that they disassemble it down to the last screw and, of course, familiarize themselves with the rich internal contents.

Second, both the Okhotnik and the escort fighter were actually flying over enemy territory. High altitude, bulletproof and accessible to all air defense systems, including MANPADS.

That is, we could have screwed up not only the Okhotnik, but also the Su-57 escort, and that is a completely different scenario.

I understand that even the loss of a pair of A-50s did not entail any serious organizational conclusions. Maybe we would have come back here, but it would have been more difficult.

And I really want to hope that it was a loss of control due to a mistake, or that they hadn't resolved the situation with the Rabbits, or that the UAV's brain had gone crazy for its own reasons, and not that the Drone was intercepted by the enemy.

But the incident obviously requires the most thorough investigation.”

Above all, it is quite ironic that the first known instance of an unmanned flying-wing multi-role combat aircraft being shot down in an active conflict zone was not at the hands of the enemy, but by members of its own air force.

We will update this post with new information throughout the day as new information emerges.

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