Russia unveils new stealth air-launched stand-off weapons for Su-57 fighter family; S-71M Monokhrom, S-71K Kovyor, S8000 Banderol missiles/loitering munitions displayed at El Alamein International Airshow

Russia has publicly revealed a new generation of relatively small, air-launched stand-off weapons featuring stealthy designs at the September 8-10, 2026, El Alamein International Airshow in Egypt. The new generation of weapons, developed by Russian aerospace and defence major PJSC United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) for the Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighter family, includes systems that have reportedly been used in the war against Ukraine. While these new missiles and munitions may not employ the cutting-edge technologies found in some Western weapons, such as the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) used by the US Air Force, they are considerably cheaper and could potentially be fired in large numbers to overwhelm air-defence systems.

The weapons, which fill the gap between the expensive and sophisticated cruise and ballistic missiles at one end of the spectrum and inexpensive armed drones at the other, include the S-71M Monokhrom, S-71K Kovyor, S8000 Banderol and a small unidentified munition.

While the S-71M Monokhrom is an air-launched autonomous/loitering munition that remains under development and operational testing, the other two, the S-71K Kovyor and S8000 Banderol, have reportedly been used by Russian forces against Ukrainian targets. The S-71K Kovyor is an air-launched cruise missile with an estimated range of around 350 kms, carries a 250 kilogram OFAB-250-270 warhead and provides Russia's Su-57 stealth fighter with a relatively inexpensive stand-off strike capability. The S8000 Banderol is a small cruise missile/loitering-munition hybrid with a much longer range of 500 km with a warhead weighing 114-150 kg.


The details of the fourth unidentified munition are not in public domain but defence experts believe that it is another potentially low-cost Su-57-compatible weapon.

Features of S-71M Monokhrom

The S-71M Monokhrom is a stealth-shaped hybrid - part cruise missile and part loitering munition/UCAV - that is reportedly derived from the S-71K. The S-71M Monokhrom has a trapezoidal fuselage cross-section a reported radar cross-section of roughly 0.007-0.01 sq m, a folding swept wing, and a V-shaped all-moving tail. It is powered by a modernized TRDD-50 turbofan and is reportedly capable of carrying a warhead of up to 250 kg.

Other reported configurations include high-explosive fragmentation and penetrating warheads weighing up to 150 kg. Flying at a reported speed of 500–600 km/h, the S-71M is estimated to have a range of around 350 km, potentially increasing to approximately 400 km with a lighter warhead.

According to available assessments, Russia has developed the S-71M to fly at terrain-hugging altitudes of approximately 20–75 metres over land and 5–15 metres over water. This flight profile is primarily to avoid radar detection. It can reportedly be carried in the internal weapons bays of the Su-57 and the S-70 Okhotnik stealth UCAV, which remains under development, or even on the external pylons of the two aircraft.

But the most important feature of the S-71M Monokhrom, according to Russian claims, is that unlike a conventional pre-programmed cruise missile, it is designed around "autonomous target search and recognition". It means the S-71M can search a designated enemy area and identify a target rather than simply flying to a fixed set of coordinates.

Features of S-71K Kovyor

Ukrainian intelligence reports that Russia has used the S-71K Kovyor in the war against Ukraine since late 2025. Ukrainian forces have also recovered and studied fragments and components of the S-71K.

The weapon is an air-launched cruise missile designed for the Su-57 family. It has an asymmetric design with a trapezoidal nose carrying a chin-mounted optical sensor, low-mounted swept-back wings, and inverted V-tails. The missile's three internal fuel tanks and turbojet propulsion give it a conventional powered-cruise flight profile rather than that of a simple glide bomb, letting it approach a target from a different axis than the launch aircraft.

Powered by a R500 turbojet and an estimated range between 300 to 350 km, the missile uses an inertial navigation system for guidance and reportedly lacks a sophisticated terminal seeker. It carries a 250 kg OFAB-250-270 high-explosive fragmentation warhead. The basic strategy behind S-71K was to give Russia's Su-57 stealth fighter a dedicated stand-off strike capability, and ensure the stealth jet does not remain just a pure air-superiority fighter.

However, analysis of S-71K components recovered by Ukraine reveals the use of electronic components sourced from the US, China, Switzerland, Japan, Germany, Taiwan and Ireland, highlighting the missile's dependence on foreign-sourced components and potentially exposing its production chain to Western export controls and sanctions.

The missile is not equipped with a sophisticated terminal seeker and is primarily designed for attacking pre-programmed fixed targets, rather than behaving like a modern imaging missile that can independently identify and select a target immediately before impact.

By integrating the existing 250-kg OFAB-250-270 bomb as its warhead, Russia appears to have avoided the need to develop an entirely new warhead for the missile.

The S-71K gives Russia an extremely cheap option to strike enemy targets and reserve more expensive Kh-101-class cruise missiles for higher-value targets.

Features of S8000 Banderol

The Banderol may be the most important weapon here from a "war-of-attrition perspective". Unlike the S-71K, it is not dependent on a fighter aircraft for launch.

The weapon was developed by Russia's Kronstadt organization and is primarily associated with the Orion UAV, with adaptation for helicopters also reported. The arming of Mi-28 Havoc helicopters with S8000 Banderol potentially gives the rotary-wing platform a long-range strike capability as the missile can hit targets at a range of over 500 km.

While the cruising speed of the S8000 Banderol is estimated to be roughly 500 km/h, its maximum speed is estimated at approximately 620-650 km/h. It can reportedly carry an OFBCh-150 warhead weighing approximately 114 kg, with some estimates putting the maximum warhead weight at around 150 kg.

The Banderol is intended to provide Russia with a lower-cost long-range strike option than more sophisticated Western systems such as the US AGM-158 JASSM.