According to an anonymous defense industry source, Russia is developing a two-seat (two-seat) version of the Sukhoi Su-57 Felon stealth fighter to control four S-70 Okhotnik stealth strike drones at the same time.
“To control advanced Okhotnik drones, a two-seat commando variant of the Su-57 will be created. The fighter jet, already under development, should control about four Okhtonik drones”, the source told the news agency CASS. So far, the agency has not obtained official confirmation of the information.
In June, Yuri Borisov, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, said that the Ministry of Defense and Sukhoi were planning the development of a two-seat version of the Su-57 for the export market. “The Ministry of Defense and the Sukhoi Design Bureau have plans to develop a two-pilot aircraft that will increase export demand for this model… and may create additional demand.”, said Borisov at the time.
As Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) press office told TASS, the Okhotnik drone with stealth features will be deployed against air and ground targets in a network-centric interaction with the Su-57 fighter. When paired with Sukhoi's fifth-generation fighter, Okhotnik drones will handle a wide range of tasks, attacking targets under the command of a Su-57 pilot.
The Okhotnik (Hunter) heavy attack drone made its first flight on August 03, 2019. On September 27, 2019, the S-70 performed a t flight with a Su-57. The drone maneuvered in the air in automated mode at an altitude of around 1.600 meters and its flight lasted more than 30 minutes, the agency says. The serial S-70 is expected to enter service around 2024, while the Russian Aerospace Forces received the first production Su-57 in late 2020.
