Tupolev PAK DA

PAK DA
Role Stealth strategic bomber
National origin Russia
Manufacturer Kazan Aircraft Production Association, Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association Plant, Beriev[1]
Designer Tupolev
Introduction 2027 (expected)[2]
Status In development
Primary user Russian Aerospace Forces

The Tupolev PAK DA or PAK DA (Russian: ПАК ДА, short for: Перспективный авиационный комплекс дальней авиации, romanized: Perspektivnyi aviatsionnyi kompleks dal'ney aviatsii, lit. ''Prospective aviation complex for long-range aviation''),[3] codename Poslannik (Russian: Посланник, lit. 'Envoy'),[4] is a next-generation stealth strategic bomber being developed by Tupolev for the Long-Range Aviation branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces.[5] The PAK DA is set to complement and eventually replace the older Tupolev Tu-95 in Russia's Air Force service.[6]

According to the 2020 Izvestia report, three PAK DA prototypes were expected to be ready for preliminary testing by April 2023, with the state tests to begin in February 2026. The aircraft is expected to enter serial production in 2027.[7] Due to the ongoing modernization of Russia's current bomber fleet and massive purchases of upgraded Tu-160M2s, it is believed that the Russian Defence Ministry will initially procure only a small number of PAK DA bombers.[8]

Technical parameters of the PAK DA include subsonic speed, 12,000-kilometre (7,500 mi) operational range and a capability to continuously remain in the air for up to 30 hours while carrying both conventional and nuclear payloads up to 30 tons.[9] The aircraft is expected to have a crew of four.[7]

  1. ^ "Общая информация". Archived from the original on 2021-11-01. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  2. ^ "Первые испытания ПАК ДА ачнутся уже в 2022 году".
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference defenceaviation.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Interfax was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Russia starts building first stealth bomber: State media". Flight Global.
  6. ^ "Минобороны подписало контракты, необходимые для производства ПАК ДА" (in Russian). RIA Novosti. 3 February 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  7. ^ a b "ПАКетное соглашение: новейшему бомбардировщику назначили сроки выхода в серию". Izvestia (in Russian). 14 January 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  8. ^ "Выбор настоящих "стратегов"". Kommersant. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  9. ^ ""ПАК-ДА" станет важным элементом российской "гиперзвуковой триады"". gosnovosti.com. 20 April 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2019.