Batch deliveries of Okhotnik drones expected to begin in 2025.

Batch deliveries of the Okhotnik heavy unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to the troops are expected to begin in 2025, a source at the staff of Russian Vice-Premier Yuri Borisov told TASS on the sidelines of the MAKS-2019 air show.

Okhotnik heavy reconnaissance strike drone (Picture source: Russian MoD)

"A prototype of the Okhotnik heavy reconnaissance strike drone made its first flight on August 3, 2019. It needs to undergo a large number of trials prior to becoming a serial piece. Batch deliveries to units of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) are due to begin as of 2025," the source said. "Most flight trials [of Okhotnik], including its assault variant armed with various air-launched weapons, are scheduled for 2023-2024," an official in Yuri Borisov’s staff added.

The Okhotnik drone will serve as a "universal platform for installing prospective air weapons, onboard air reconnaissance systems and other equipment which will make it possible to constantly expand the drone’s functions in the course of the batch production," he said.