Development
The first mention of Russia's next-generation long-range strategic bomber dates back to the late 1990s, when requirements for this aircraft had begun to be defined. In December 2007, the Russian Air Force delivered the first set of technical and tactical requirements for a new strategic bomber to the Tupolev Design Bureau, and funding for the program began in 2008. According to some early reports, the PAK DA was to be largely based on the supersonic Tupolev Tu-160,[7] but later reports on the aircraft, including a televised speech by then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, seemed to imply that it would be a completely new design.[8].
On September 3, 2009, the Russian Ministry of Defense awarded the Tupolev Design Bureau a three-year R&D contract to conduct studies for the new long-range bomber. According to the president and general designer of Tupolev, Igor Shevchuk, "this should be a fundamentally new aircraft, based on conceptually new solutions."[8].
In June 2012, then-Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Rogozin questioned the need for a new long-range bomber, pointing to advances in air and missile defense technology, saying that "these planes will go nowhere. Not ours, not theirs." Chief of the General Staff Nikolai Makarov responded by stating that work was ongoing and that the design was superior to that of American aircraft.[9] On June 9, 2012, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev declared that the PAK DA had been confirmed as planned. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his June 14, 2012 statement, also urged the need for a new long-range bomber.
In March 2013, it was reported that the PAK DA design selected would be a subsonic flying wing with an emphasis on stealth technology rather than supersonic speeds.[10][11][12] Anatoly Zhikharev noted that an unmanned strategic bomber may follow the PAK DA after 2040.[13] On August 30, 2013, a Ministry source Russian Defense Ministry revealed that the PAK DA would be equipped with advanced types of precision-guided weapons, including hypersonic weapons.[14].
In November 2013, a decision was made to accelerate work on the PAK DA and begin full-scale R&D in 2014.[15] In February 2014, then-Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Andrei Boginsky stated that Russia was seeking Chinese investment in the project.[16]
In April 2014, the director of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) of Russia, Mikhail Pogosian, announced that the Tupolev Design Bureau had completed the design and that the project was moving to the intermediate phase, that is, the completion of the design and the construction of a prototype.[17].
In March 2015 it became known that the KAPO plant in Kazan was chosen for the construction of the PAK DA prototypes and production aircraft. The Russian Ministry of Defense allocated around 5 billion rubles for the reconstruction and technical re-equipment of the production base, in order to prepare the plant for the construction of the new bomber.[18] The development of the PAK DA will be carried out simultaneously with the serial production of the improved Tu-160M2,[19] although this subsequently caused repeated delays in the program.[20].
In July 2015, representatives from United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation (UIMC), now part of Roselectronics, announced that the company is developing a "one-of-a-kind communications system" for the bomber. On March 1, 2017, it was reported that the first full-size model of the bomber was built, among several scale models of different configurations.[21].
In July 2018, United Engine Corporation (UEC) and Tupolev signed a contract for the creation of the PAK DA engine.[22] According to early reports, it will be derived from the updated Kuznetsov NK-32 Level 2 engine, intended for the modernized Tu-160M2. About 8 billion rubles would be allocated for the development of the new engine, which will be produced by JSC Kuznetsov in Samara.[23][24] The engine should provide the PAK DA with the ability to perform 30 hours of non-stop flight while being resistant to temperatures from -60 °C to more than 50 °C, and even to the effects of a nuclear explosion. Its useful life is expected to be 12 to 21 years.[22][25] The first tests of the PAK DA engine will be carried out in 2020 and will be completed by the end of 2021.[26].
In February 2019, the final draft of PAK DA was approved and all documents for the construction of the bomber were signed.[27] Construction of the first components of the aircraft began at the end of 2019.[27] On May 26, 2020, ITAR-TASS reported on the start of construction of the first PAK DA bomber with reference to anonymous sources.[28] Still according to TASS, citing Another source in the aeronautical industry, the first prototype of the PAK DA would be completed in early 2023.[29].
On 23 December 2020 it was reported that UEC was in the final stages of completing the first prototype engine for the PAK DA, with bench tests to be carried out in 2021.[30] The new engine was designed digitally, making it possible to quickly manufacture the first example.[31] On 24 December 2020, according to a TASS source in the Russian military-industrial complex, it was reported that several were now being assembled PAK DA at the same time at the Kazan aircraft plant.[32] The source said that two or three prototypes are already being launched into production.[33].
On July 22, 2021, NPP General Director Zvezdá announced at the 2021 MAKS air show that ejection seats for PAK DA were under development and should be delivered to Tupolev in 2023.[34] The test phase of ejection seats for PAK DA began in October 2022, according to NPP General Director Zvezdá.[35] On August 2, 2021 it was announced that a new long-range nuclear-capable hypersonic cruise missile, the Kh-95"),[36] was being developed,[36] which would be installed inside the weapons bay of the PAK DA.[37] On November 25, 2021 it was reported that the first prototype of the PAK DA was in the final stage of assembly and would begin ground testing in 2022, with the first flight scheduled for late 2024 or early 2025.[38].
On March 16, 2022, Tupolev published a patent for an engine air intake for flying-wing stealth aircraft, including illustrations of the aircraft.
On May 13, 2022, a United Aeronautical Corporation production planning at the Voronezh Aircraft Production Association plant showed that production of components for 6 PAK DA was ongoing. Planning also confirmed that several prototypes of the PAK DA were still expected to be built between 2023 and 2026.[39] Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov further justified the work on the schedule, explaining that sanctions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 will not affect the timing of the creation of the PAK DA, as the bomber contains no foreign components.[40] Similarly, the August 10, 2023, on the eve of the International Military-Technical Forum "Army-2023", Vladimir Artyakov, First Deputy Director General of Rostec, stated that "work on the PAK DA project is being carried out in the established mode according to the approved schedule", which means that the first prototype should be implemented in 2023.[41].