China’s Sharp Sword Stealth Drone Compared to Russia’s S-70 Okhotnik
China revealed its latest stealth UAV, the Sharp Sword, at a Beijing parade. Experts compared it to Russia’s S-70 Okhotnik, noting similarities in design and combat roles.
At a military parade in Beijing, China unveiled its newest stealth drone, the «Sharp Sword." Russian military aviation expert Major General Vladimir Popov compared the aircraft to Russia’s heavy unmanned aerial vehicle S-70 «Okhotnik," noting their shared design features.
According to Popov, both systems fall into the category of low-visibility aircraft. The Chinese model, like its Russian counterpart, follows the «flying wing» scheme with little to no tail assembly. However, he emphasized that absolute invisibility is unattainable: modern detection systems can still identify such drones from multiple angles-whether visually, through heat signatures, or by observing shifts in air currents.
The S-70 «Okhotnik» itself was developed using technologies introduced during the creation of the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter jet. In combat scenarios, the drone operates in tandem with the Su-57, capable of deploying a wide arsenal of weaponry, from guided missiles to unguided bombs.
The unveiling took place during a large-scale military parade in Beijing on September 3, marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War II. The event gathered numerous foreign leaders, with Russian President Vladimir Putin invited as the guest of honor.