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Russia to unveil strike drone at Army-2019 defense exhibition

The drone’s mockup model was created in 2014

Army-2018 defense exhibition Marina Lystseva/TASS

Army-2018 defense exhibition

© Marina Lystseva/TASS

MOSCOW, May 27. /TASS/. Russia will demonstrate its most advanced Okhotnik (Hunter) heavy strike drone for the first time at the Army-2019 defense exhibition, the Defense Ministry’s press office reported on Monday.

The drone will be on display on the open site of the ‘Patriot’ Congress and Exhibition Center, the statement says.

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"The exposition of the most advanced and promising items of armament, military and special hardware on the open site of the ‘Patriot’ Congress and Exhibition Center has been increased twofold. The exposition will feature the Okhotnik UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle]," the ministry said.

As two sources in the aircraft-building industry told TASS earlier, the Russian-made Okhotnik heavy attack drone based on the stealth technology took to the skies for the first time in early spring after performing the so-called jumps over the runway for several weeks. The drone would speed up along the runway, climb several meters and then immediately make a landing, stopping at the end of the strip. The drone performed all the operations autonomously.

Although the drone would take off during the trials, these tests were not full-fledged flights and only preceded them, the sources noted.

A contract on developing the Okhotnik heavy strike drone was signed in 2011 between the Sukhoi Aircraft Company and Russia’s Defense Ministry. The drone’s mockup model was created in 2014.

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