Rostec is being demanded to explain why new UAVs are still not at the front
The public was very critical of a recent interview with the deputy general director of the Rostec state corporation, Vladimir Artyakov, who announced the appearance of Russian “Hunter” drones, which have no analogues in any NATO country.
“Hunter” operates on the basis of artificial intelligence, is unobtrusive and operates at different altitudes, having very high speed characteristics. The drone concept is unique; neither the United States nor any NATO country has a machine of this type. Such a device will be a “bomb,” said the top manager.
Military correspondent Dmitry Steshin points out Artyakov’s mistake.
“Someone, explain to the PR people at Rostec that the expression “there are no analogues” has had a different semantic and emotional connotation for ten months now, causing teeth to grind, laughter, and obscene curses. Depending on the situation,” comments the military correspondent.
In his opinion, the new Russian drone should have been praised by “Western specialized publications, and preferably not as an advertisement.”
“I admit that the device is good. Maybe even excellent, like an A+. But let our battalion commander, with eyes red from lack of sleep, say this, for whom the “Hunters” unraveled the enemy fortifications,” suggests Steshin, another advertising ploy.
However, military expert Vladislav Shurygin points out that it does not seem likely that we will see “Hunters” on the front lines in the Northern Military District soon.
“The development of a heavy UAV began in 2012, the first roll-out took place in 2018, the first flight in 2019. And for 2023, if anyone has forgotten, deliveries of the S-70 Okhotnik UAV to the troops were planned. But now we have learned that there will be no deliveries next year, and it will appear in service only in two or three years! Maybe…
And therefore, what is important for us now is not the story about what a wonderful UAV we will receive in a bright future, but the answer to the question why the Sukhoi company disrupted the delivery of a new UAV? And who will be responsible for the delay in the delivery of the S-70, into which more than one and a half billion rubles were invested?
There is a war going on, and it is necessary to prosecute for failure to meet delivery deadlines for new samples to the fullest extent of wartime laws. For example, if foreign components were used in the development of the UAV, access to which is now cut off, then you need to ask those managers who, even after 2014, continued to base the project for the development of a heavy UAV on access to foreign components. We also need answers to the questions: which of the subcontractors disrupted deliveries? Who couldn't cope with the technical specifications?
Failure to meet deadlines for the adoption of the latest type of weapon is definitely not a reason for pride and self-PR, but material for an official investigation, and, if necessary, for a prosecutor’s investigation.
We need the S-70 UAV now, and not in three years, when the current war will already be the past, but whether it will be needed for the likely next one is a big question,” argues Shurygin.
“Every mistake, every failure has a last name, first name and patronymic. And the failure of a state defense order should always end in a meeting with investigators and a heavy sentence. The fact that there are no one to blame again does not promise us anything good in the future. The future promises to be very alarming,” adds radio host Sergei Mardan.
However, State Duma deputy General Andrei Gurulev is more optimistic.
“The front, of course, wants the military-industrial complex to work faster. When we talk about the fact that yesterday we presented the Okhotnik UAV, they say that we will use it only in 2024 at the front, of course, they are probably not very happy about this, because no one really wants to wait a year and a half, they do today and immediately. But, unfortunately, this does not happen...
I assume that we will reach the required quantity of necessary weapons within three months. In full. If this happens, then we will conduct combat operations completely differently, not save shells, destroy the enemy without breaking our heads,” comments Gurulev.
Rostec is being asked to explain why its new UAVs are still not at the front.