S-71 Monokhrom
Russian air-launched UAV with cruise missile characteristics.
The S-71 Monokhrom is a Russian air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle that functions like a cruise missile. Sukhoi Design Bureau started work on this UAV type in 2019, basing its design on a cruise missile dropped from an Su-57 carrier aircraft using AKU-58A or BD3-USK-A booms. Development accelerated in 2022, and flight testing began in 2023. In August 2023, the United Aircraft Corporation filed a patent for an air-launched UAV with a warhead, describing a vehicle that could operate as a loitering munition or cruise missile. The patent was granted in March 2024 as RU2816326C1, and flight tests finished that same year.
The production model, designated S-71M Monochrom, can operate autonomously within a designated area, searching for and identifying targets, and independently decide to attack. Media reports say it has been adapted for launch from the S-70 Okhotnik heavy drone. A simplified variant, the S-71K Dyvan, has a radar cross-section of 0.007–0.01 m², a range of 200–350 km, and flies at low altitudes of 20–75 m over ground and 5–15 m over water. Its main role is attacking fixed-coordinate targets with a cluster warhead. The drone is built at the Tactical Missile Armament Plant.
First combat use occurred during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russian media reported that in January 2026, near the village of Khlopyaniki, S-71 drones destroyed a HIMARS launcher that had been attacking targets in Bryansk Oblast.
The drone has a standard aircraft configuration designed to reduce radar signature. Its fuselage is hexagonal in cross-section with a V-tail. It uses a TRDD-50 turbojet engine or a modification, enabling sustained subsonic low-altitude flight, with an exhaust nozzle designed to lower thermal signature. Armament is a 100–150 kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead. Guidance includes an inertial system and GLONASS satellite navigation. Wings fold and deploy after airdrop. The S-71M’s size allows four S-71Ks in the Su-57’s internal bay; the S-71K must be carried on under-wing mounts. The Su-57 can carry four S-71Ks.
Remains of a destroyed S-71M recovered by Ukrainian forces in mid-2026 showed it was controlled by an Nvidia Jetson Orin NX board produced in March 2025, the most powerful board found on a Russian weapon used in Ukraine so far, comparable to a GeForce RTX 3000 series graphics card.
Quick Facts
- Aircraft Type
- Unmanned combat aerial vehicle
- National Origin
- Russia
- Manufacturer
- Tactical Missiles Corporation
- Designer
- United Aircraft Corporation
- Primary User
- Russian Aerospace Forces
- Number Built
- 2
- Introduction
- 2024
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Sukhoi Design Bureau began work on a new type of UAV in 2019, basing its design on a cruise missile concept dropped from an Su-57 carrier aircraft using AKU-58A or BD3-USK-A booms. Work intensified in 2022, reaching flight testing in 2023. On August 1, 2023, the United Aircraft Corporation filed a patent for an air-launched UAV with a warhead, describing a vehicle capable of operating as a loitering munition or cruise missile. In March 2024, patent RU2816326C1 was granted, and flight tests were completed that year.
Based on this design, the S-71M Monochrom entered production, capable of autonomous operation within a designated area, searching for and identifying targets, and independently deciding to attack. A simplified version, the S-71K Dyvan, was developed with low detectability (RCS 0.007–0.01 m²), a range of 200–350 km at low altitudes (20–75 m above ground, 5–15 m above water), and a cluster warhead for attacking targets with fixed coordinates. The S-71K is carried on under-wing mounts, while the S-71M's size allows four to be carried in the Su-57's internal bay; the Su-57 can carry four S-71Ks.
The drone is built in a standard aircraft configuration with a hexagonal fuselage and V-tail, powered by a TRDD-50 turbojet engine with a thermally shielded exhaust nozzle. Wings are foldable and deploy after airdrop. Remains of a destroyed S-71M recovered by Ukrainian forces in mid-2026 revealed it was controlled by an Nvidia Jetson Orin NX produced in March 2025, the most powerful board found on a Russian weapon in Ukraine at that time.
Reader's Guide
The S-71 Monokhrom represents a significant evolution in Russian unmanned aerial vehicle design, merging the roles of a loitering munition and cruise missile in an air-launched platform. Its development from 2019 through flight testing in 2023 and patent approval in 2024 highlights a rapid integration of new capabilities into existing carrier aircraft like the Su-57 and S-70 Okhotnik. The variant S-71K Dyvan, with its low radar cross-section and cluster warhead, emphasizes a focus on precision strikes against fixed coordinates, while the S-71M Monochrom adds autonomous target search and attack decision-making.
Combat use during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, specifically in January 2026 near Khlopyaniki, where S-71 drones reportedly destroyed a HIMARS launcher, marks its operational debut. The recovery of a destroyed S-71M with an Nvidia Jetson Orin NX board—a commercial off-the-shelf component—underscores the adaptation of civilian technology for military applications. This integration of advanced computing power, comparable to a GeForce RTX 3000 series graphics card, suggests a trend toward more autonomous and computationally capable weapons systems in the conflict.
Did You Know?
- A destroyed S-71M recovered in mid-2026 was controlled by an Nvidia Jetson Orin NX produced in March 2025.
- The S-71K can cover 200–350 km at low altitudes of 20–75 m above ground and 5–15 m above water.
More in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles by Country, Part 3 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced