Okhotnik heavy attack drone flies first flight test together with jet fighter
MOSCOW. Aug 16 (Interfax) - The Okhotnik heavy attack drone, which performed its maiden flight on August 3, 2019, has flown the first flight tests together with a Sukhoi Su-30SM jet fighter, according to a video posted by the Russian Defense Ministry on social media on Friday.
The video features the attack drone's takeoff and various maneuvers involving a Su-30SM multirole fighter.
Russia does not have attack drones in service as of yet.
According to earlier reports, the attack drone's maiden flight on August 3 lasted for over 20 minutes. Controlled by an operator, the drone circled the airfield a few times at an altitude of about 600 meters before landing successfully.
"Okhotnik carries optical-electronic, radio-technical and other types of reconnaissance equipment," the Defense Ministry said earlier.
Performance characteristics of Okhotnik have not been disclosed. According to information available to the public, the drone has a takeoff weight of 20 tonnes, making it one of the heaviest drones under development.
A mockup of Okhotnik was first presented at the Army 2019 forum. A description of the exhibit said it had a length of 19 meters and a wing span of 14 meters, which is comparable with parameters of the Sukhoi Su-57 fifth-generation fighter.