Among the twisted and burned remains of the drone, the nose cone of at least one example of the UMPB D-30SN precision-guided wing bomb is clearly visible. This is a weapon that we have studied extensively in the past, but was previously not known to be part of the S-70’s armory. The weapon is a much more sophisticated glide bomb compared to the previous UMPK, a fairly simple weapon type that has nevertheless caused significant difficulties for Ukrainian air defense since its introduction around the beginning of 2023.

The UMPB D-30SN, which first appeared in the spring of this year, is more similar in concept to the US-made GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb and reportedly uses inertial and satellite navigation. However, it is unclear whether the weapon can be programmed with a target’s coordinates after the aircraft takes off, which would be necessary for the most time-critical targets. The weapon’s range is unknown, but is probably greater than that of the UMPK. This earlier weapon is unofficially credited with a range of 44 miles, although there are several reports claiming the actual range is much less.

The S-70 is equipped with some barely noticeable (stealthy) features, including an internal weapons mount. Russia has developed a series of compressed missiles suitable for the internal weapons bays of the S-70 as well as the Su-57 Felon manned fighter aircraft. Few details have been released so far about the specific types of weapons the S-70 can or will carry, although there have been official statements describing air-to-air missile trials in the past. On the other hand, for a drone of this class, air-to-ground munitions (as well as reconnaissance payloads) appear to be more operationally realistic, at least at this stage of its development.

The UMPB D-30SN is a comparatively new weapon, likely developed in response to the demands of the war in Ukraine – particularly the need for lower-cost, precision-guided standoff weapons.

The fact that the S-70 was loaded with at least one of these weapons also suggests that it was likely used for some sort of operational testing.

The S-70 should have enough range to operate from its home base near the Ukrainian border. She could then have accidentally drifted across the border. However, it seems highly unlikely that non-combat tests of a weapons-loaded drone would be conducted on Russian territory so close to the Ukrainian border. If an armed Russian drone was operating over the Ukrainian front, it was almost certainly intentional.

There remains a small possibility that the glide bomb was dropped at the site where the drone crashed to ensure that the remains of the S-70 were destroyed, although there are no reports of such airstrikes nearby. Russia’s slow targeting cycles also appear to preclude this, particularly given the question of whether the UMPB D-30SN can even upload target coordinates in flight. There are now unconfirmed reports that Russia attacked the crash site with an Iskander short-range ballistic missile, which seems – and somewhat is – much more likely TWZ predicted.

We still don’t know why the drone was shot down by another Russian aircraft, but the fact that it was operating in close proximity to a manned jet suggests that it may also have been conducting tests in which it could fly with a manned jet paired was platform. The S-70 was involved in previous non-combat “Loyal Wingman” testing along with the Su-57. This may also have led to the claim that it was a Su-57 that shot down the specimen over Ukraine.

On the other hand, the S-70 could have been on a reconnaissance mission independent Attack operations where a fighter is available to observe or even target shoot down in the event of a serious malfunction, including ultimate loss of command. The need to potentially shoot it down may be largely due to the requirement to keep sensitive technology out of Ukraine’s (and by proxy, the West’s) hands. We discuss these possibilities and their historical precedent in detail in our latest report on the incident.