The shooting down of their own brand new drone when it went out of control over Ukraine could be one of the biggest failures ever experienced by the Russian Air Force. But it could be even worse, according to Forbes.
️С-70 “Hunter” was a prototype of a combat stealth drone, a “faithful follower”, designed to work in tandem with the new Su-57 fighter. After the S-70 was shot down by an accompanying Su-57, the Russians fired an Iskander missile at the crash site to destroy the wreckage of the S-70.
Photos show that long before the missile strike, the Ukrainians have already taken the key components for analysis. This analysis will probably be very uncomfortable for the Russians — but perhaps not for the reasons you might expect.
The technology to reduce the visibility of an aircraft to radar is technically known as "signature reduction" and known as “stealth”. Although the general approach had been known since World War II, the idea of creating an aircraft that would be virtually invisible to radar was revolutionary and highly classified.
Prototypes of the inconspicuous F-117 Nighthawk aircraft appeared in the 70s of the last century, but only in 1980 the US Secretary of Defense Harold Brown officially announced the existence of a new “stealth technology”. No one knew what the new stealth aircraft looked like, and for years there were rumors about the appearance of the mysterious “stealth fighter F-19”. Several models have been released that are allegedly based on insider information. None of them looked like the F-117, suggesting an active disinformation campaign.
In July 1986, an F-117 piloted by Major Ross Mulhare of the 4450th Tactical Group crashed into a hillside near Sequoia National Park. The pilot died instantly. The media showed great interest in the mysterious aircraft, which was probably a secret prototype. The F-117 was completely destroyed, and a large-scale clearance operation was launched. A thousand-foot area around the crash site was cordoned off and all traces of debris were removed. Even the soil was sifted in search of lost fragments.
After all traces were cleared, the Air Force brought in a crashed F-101 Voodoo that had been in storage for 20 years, tore it apart and scattered the pieces around the crash site. The media was given access and permission to photograph the fake wreckage. The F-117 was not publicly recognized until 1988, and its appearance was not revealed until 1990.
️ Stealth is achieved mainly by carefully shaping the airframe, avoiding straight lines and sharp angles that reflect radar. However, ensuring that the surface minimizes radar reflection is also critical.
At first, Russia paid little attention to stealth technology, but in recent years Moscow has announced advances in this field, and the new Su-57 is described as a “stealth fighter” with a significantly smaller radar signature than previous generations.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000According to Russian officials, the S-70 drone is “manufactured using special materials and coatings that make it virtually invisible to radar.” After the S-70 was shot down, the Russians struck the crash site with an “Iskander” ballistic missile. These missiles are scarce and expensive, and diverting one from the campaign against Ukrainian cities indicates that it was a priority target.
There are several reasons why the Russians would want to prevent the West from seeing the drone wreckage. NATO is least likely to get technology that it can repurpose and use in its own aircraft. No one seriously believes that Russia is the leader in this field, and even optimistic claims about the Su-57 indicate that it is much less stealthy than Western aircraft.
Most significant is the risk that Western engineers may learn what wavelengths and angles the C-70 is designed to reflect, and at what wavelengths it will still be visible. This information can to some extent nullify the S-70's stealth capabilities. Given that it's a relatively large, slow and expensive drone, if its stealth is breached, it becomes much less useful.
Even more serious is the fact that the S-70 was developed at the same time as the Su-57, Russia's next-generation fighter jet, and most likely uses the same materials and technology. If the West can see how “stealth” works; S-70, he will be able to get a pretty good performance, how to beat the Su-57.
But there is a more likely explanation of what the Russians are actually trying to hide. It is that the “king is naked” and that their stealth technology does not exist. We have already seen some signs that Russian stealth is not up to par. In 2023, Ukrainian engineers were able to analyze the remains of the Russian Kh-101 long-range cruise missile, which allegedly has an anti-radar coating. According to the Ukrainian website Defense Express, this is not the case. “Research results show that, despite Russia's claims, the X-101 is not covered with a special paint that reduces the reflection of radiation… All Russian stories about covering the hull of the Kh-101 with a radio-absorbing coating turned out to be nothing more than propaganda, – writes Defense News.
Likewise, when the Russians recently released images of the new Su-57, Western analysts were horrified by its rough finish. Stealth aircraft must have a perfectly smooth surface, as even minor protrusions can significantly affect radar visibility.
️The B-2 bomber is known for its strict requirements for stealth aircraft – it is necessary to glue radio-absorbing tape with tolerances in thousandths of an inch on certain surfaces. The Su-57 has exposed screw heads and rivets all over the wing and fuselage, indicating low stealth qualities.
Given Russian culture, it is quite possible that even senior commanders are unaware of these flaws in their stealth- technologies. Nobody ever wants to break bad news, and Russian defense contractors know how to buy off procurement officials all the way up.
The Russian leadership may be about to learn that their expensive and hyped “stealth drone” not really stealth at all. And they will learn about it after reading it in the mass media.