PAK-DA / Tupolev. As the Su-57 fifth-generation fighter moves into serial production in much larger quantities than previously expected, ...
PAK-DA / Tupolev. |
Russian state news reports that the PAK-DA, as the bomber is currently known, will undergo initial testing at the Zhukovsky Center. Perhaps the most striking aspect of the PAK-DA is how close the fighter is to entering service within the Russian Air Force (VKS)-- according to then-Deputy Minister of Defense Yuri Borisov, the first prototype is expected in 2021-2022, the maiden flight is scheduled for 2025-2026, and serial delivery will begin in 2028-2029.
Needless to say, this timeframe should be taken with a warranted degree of reservation; from the S-500 to the Su-57, this wouldn’t be the first flagship Russian military hardware project to languish in a cycle of overeager estimates followed by cyclical delays (nor is this phenomenon exclusive to Russia’s military-industrial complex).
Whereas Russia’s current crop of heavy, strategic, nuclear-capable bombers is entirely composed of Soviet-era fighters and iterations thereof, the PAK-DA will be based on a completely new design-- as lead engineer Igor Shevchuk put it, a “fundamentally new fighter, based on new conceptual solutions.” As United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) President Yuri Slyusar added, “we, of course, are talking about a serious reduction in observability, improved handling, and expanded combat capabilities.”
Little is currently known by way of PAK-DA’s concrete specifications. Russian defense commentary suggests a possible operational range of 12,000 kilometers, a payload of up to 30 tons, and subsonic flight speed. The latter fact is particularly important in light of VKS commander Viktor Bondarev’s clarification that the PAK-DA prioritizes “stealth capabilities” over raw speed: “It is impossible to build a missile-carrying bomber invisible to radars and supersonic at the same time. This is why focus is placed on stealth capabilities.
The PAK-DA will carry AI-guided missiles with a range of up to 7,000 km. Such a missile can analyze the aerial and radio-radar situation and determine its direction, altitude and speed. We’re already working on such missiles.” These missiles, which can purportedly switch targets in mid-flight and autonomously adjust their flight path to evade radars, are still under development, and-- given Bondarev’s emphasis on stealth-- will almost certainly be stored in the PAK-DA’s internal weapons bay.
The PAK-DA is being branded as a replacement to the Tu-160 and Tu-22M3, but is unlikely to be mass-produced in sufficient quantities to become the backbone of Russia’s strategic bomber force. Russia’s defense establishment has recently confirmed that the Tu-160 and Tu-22 designs are here to stay for the foreseeable future, as both are getting avionics, quality of life, and armament suite refreshes in the form of the Tu-160M2 and Tu-22M3M respectively. Instead, it appears that the PAK-DA is designed to fill a high-intensity, deep penetration, nuclear conflict niche against the world’s leading air defense systems.