{"id":20159,"date":"2019-07-16T04:19:57","date_gmt":"2019-07-16T08:19:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mdpair.com\/russias-new-bizzare-b-2-look-alike-stealth-drone-is-up-to-something\/"},"modified":"2019-07-16T04:19:57","modified_gmt":"2019-07-16T08:19:57","slug":"russias-new-bizzare-b-2-look-alike-stealth-drone-is-up-to-something","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mdpair.com\/?p=20159","title":{"rendered":"Russia’s New, Bizzare B-2 Look-alike Stealth Drone Is up to Something"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>David AxeThe National Interest<\/a>

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Image Credit: Instagram<\/figcaption>More<\/figure>\n

David Axe<\/p>\n

Technology, Europe<\/em><\/p>\n

But what?<\/h3>\n

Russia's New, Bizzare B-2 Look-alike Stealth Drone Is up to Something<\/p>\n

The Chkalov satellite imagery indicates Hunter-B has a wingspan of around 50 feet, making it roughly the same size as the X-47B or an Su-34 manned fighter. Size confers volume and hints that Hunter-B, whatever its stealth qualities, might possess a large fuel load and a correspondingly long range.<\/em><\/p>\n

Russia\u2019s prototype stealth drone will make its first flight in July or August 2019, state media reported.<\/p>\n

The Hunter-B drone will be fully autonomous and follow a pre-programmed flight path, according to<\/a> Russian news agency TASS.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Russian defense establishment is promising a test that will include a short-duration 'jump'\u2014the [unmanned combat air vehicle] will rise ever so briefly above the tarmac to test its launching and landing capabilities," said Samuel Bendett, an independent expert on the Russian military.<\/p>\n

(This first appeared earlier in June 2019.)<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe flight will not last for long \u2014 several dozens of minutes at the maximum," a source told TASS. \u201cTeams on the ground will intervene if necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hunter-B\u2019s much-anticipated first flight could signal the beginning of a long development that could end with the Russian air force operating fighter-style stealth drones.<\/p>\n

A flying wing similar in shape to the U.S. Air Force's B-2 stealth bomber, Hunter-B in theory could penetrate enemy defenses to deliver ordnance.<\/p>\n

The subsonic Hunter-B is in the same class as China's Tian Ying drone, the U.S. Air Force's RQ-170 surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle, the U.S. Navy's experimental X-47B UAV and Boeing's X-45C drone demonstrator.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unclear how many Hunter-B prototypes exist. At least one was on the flight line when Russian president Vladimir Putin on May 14, 2019 visited the 929th Chkalov State Flight-Test Center in Russia's Astrakhan region.<\/p>\n

Read the full article. <\/a><\/p>\n

What to Read Next<\/h2>\n