(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — The new Russian strategic bomber aircraft, called “PAK DA” or “Izdelie 80” (Product 80), developed by the Tupolev company, is expected to make its maiden flight in 2025.
Under-development PAK DA is also Russia’s first stealth bomber.
Unlike its predecessors, where speed was the paramount consideration, the PAK DA is designed to be a subsonic speed strategic bomber, with a maximum speed not exceeding Mach 1.0.
This departure from the conventional Russian aircraft development mantra of “faster is better” marks a significant shift in Tupolev’s strategy for the PAK DA strategic bomber program.
Tupolev is a company under the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), a Russian government agency.
Tupolev’s efforts in crafting the PAK DA underscore Russia’s commitment to advancing its strategic capabilities in the realm of aviation technology.
The aircraft’s scheduled debut flight in 2025 is poised to unveil a new era in Russia’s strategic bomber capabilities, showcasing a nuanced approach that values stealth and versatility over sheer speed.
The designers of the PAK DA bomber aim to draw inspiration from the American strategic bomber aircraft, the B-2 Spirit, which emphasizes stealth features over speed.
Due to the use of the B-2 Spirit as a model for the PAK DA program, various parties have accused Russia of attempting to “copy” the design of the American bomber, especially its “flying wing” design.
The “flying wing” design no longer incorporates traditional aircraft structures like fuselages, wings, and various other elements such as stabilizers and flight control components, Instead, traditional aircraft elements are replaced with complex flight control computers.
Although the PAK DA development program is shrouded in mystery, it can be confirmed that the aircraft is designed to carry conventional, nuclear, and hypersonic weapons.
Its ability to carry high-speed weaponry eliminates the need for the PAK DA to have high speed itself.
PAK DA is said to revolutionize aerial warfare with its stealth features, confusing enemy air defense systems and enabling it to launch hypersonic guided missiles.
Overall, the PAK DA bomber is said to have the capability to carry up to 30 tons of bombs and guided munitions, compared to only 20 tons for the American B-2 Spirit bomber.
PAK-DA or “Izdelie 80” (Product 80), is believed to be nearly ready, with its maiden flight expected before 2025.
A few months ago, British Minister of State for the Armed Forces James Heappey stated that the new Russian bomber has stealth features.
“Russia maintains several types of bombers on standby at several air bases throughout its territory. The PAK-DA prototype, which is designed to resemble the American B-2 bomber, is likely nearing completion,” he said.
Currently, Russia uses several bomber aircraft, such as the Tu-95, Tu-22, and Tu-160, and with the introduction of PAK-DA (Izdelie 80), the newest Russian strategic bomber is expected to replace some of the aging strategic bombers.
“PAK-DA or Izdelie 80 will be Russia’s truly stealthy strategic bomber,” Russian media reported.
Due to its stealth characteristics, the latest Russian bomber has the ability to infiltrate the airspace of a foreign country without being detected by radar and deliver its payload before returning to its base.
All of this is made possible by its low Radar Cross Section (RCS) design, in addition to being coated with special radar-absorbing materials.
Russia is competing with the United States and China, both of which are also developing new stealth-based strategic bomber aircraft.
Last year, the United States officially introduced its latest bomber aircraft, the B-21 “Raider,” developed by Northrop Grumman.
According to Russian media reports, although the latest Russian bomber has a subsonic speed, it is capable of operating up to a range of 15,000 kilometers. — DSA
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