By Manisha Ghosh
The Tupolev PAK DA or PAK DA, or ‘Tu-160/Tu-95’, an acronym for “Prospective Aviation Complex for Long-Range Aviation”, is going to be the next generation stealth strategic bomber of the Russian Air Force, replacing all its predecessors. The first jet of this fleet is scheduled to join the Russian Air Force by 2025–26 and will continue to replenish the dwindling air-fleet status of the Russian Aerial defense system till 2028-29.
The concept of developing a new long range strategic bomber dates long back in Russian history. However the concept materialized during 2007-08 under the then Prime Minister Vladimir Putin who aspired to build such a bomber with advanced technologies and design, superior than the United States. Thus, the R&D and contract were awarded to Tupolev and the development commenced. In 2009, Tupolev President-General Designer Igor Shevchuk stated about the PAK-DA that “this should be a fundamentally new aircraft, based on conceptually new solutions.”
In 2013, it was reported that Moscow was able to develop a subsonic flying wing for the PAK-DA prototype and emphasized on stealth technologies. Later, Russia claimed that the PAK-DA will be equipped with advanced precision guided missiles that include hypersonic weapons. In 2014, the design was finalized and Tupolev was given a green signal to start building the prototype. In 2017, it was reported that the first full size model of the PAK-DA bomber was built after the long permutation and combination of a series of trials. In February 2019, the final draft design of the PAK DA, which is supposed to join the Russian Air Force, was approved and all documents for construction of the bomber were signed and it was mentioned that the first series of this fleet will be rolled out by 2022.
As classified files, much about the technical specifications of the PAK DA has not been disclosed in public, however, its confirmed that it will be equipped with the upgraded Kuznetsov NK-32 Tier 2 turbofan engine which will allow the aircrafts to fly 30hours at a stretch and will be capable of withstanding temperatures from -60°C to +50°C and prevent effects of nuclear explosion. It is expected that use of composite equipments and sophisticated technologies, superior aerodynamics, and abridged engine heat signature curtails the PAK-DA’s radio-frequency, optical and infrared visibility.
The PAK DA would probably be built with radar-absorbing material and will be equipped with a “stealthogenic” system. This stealthogenic technology is a form of anti-radar cloaking device. The PAK DA is also expected to have an AESA radar system with 1,500 individual transmitter/receiver (T/R) modules and will be equipped with “one-of-a-kind communications system,” that has been specially designed for the bomber itself. According to Russian sources, the PAK DA will have a maximum range of 5,500 km, a payload of up to 30 tons, subsonic flight speed and will also be able to bear various kinds of weapons, enabling it to concurrently attack several surface and air targets in all weather conditions- making it a perfect multirole combat bomber.
It was intended to be a supersonic bomber, but Moscow restricted the PAK-DA to be subsonic. But why? It’s now lucid with the words of the VKS commander Viktor Bondarev’s clarification that “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.”
The aspiration that drove Russia to develop such a costly but effective bomber is to gain aerial superiority against the United States and to some extent with its new competitor China. Moscow is well aware of the current situation where Trump quitted from the long standing anti nuclear proliferation treaty and the circumstances are moving towards the ‘Cold War’ situation between the two superpowers. An advantage in the air in this situation is always beneficial at least to produce fear amidst its adversaries.
Russia’s development of the PAK DA- the fifth-generation stealth fighter could defy American air preeminence, particularly if Russia vends them to its common purchasers of military gears, especially countries that are anti American by blood. Hence, American air supremacy for the foreseeable future is not as guaranteed as the U.S. Department of Defense once envisaged. Indeed, the US deputy Chief of Staff for intelligence recently made the startling statement: “For the first time, our claim to air supremacy is in jeopardy.… The dominance we’ve enjoyed in the aerial domain is no longer ours for the taking.”
Closure of the F-22 production in the US infact has severely restricted America’s capacity to react to PAK DA proliferation by construction more F-22s and potentially selling them to U.S. allies. Basically, development of PAK-DA compelled the US to think out of the box , now the US policymakers are thinking of enhancing the investments in Air supremacy by modernization and organizing new partnerships with its allies like Japan and Israel, that might eventually prevent the airpower balance from leaning in goodwill of the Russian air force and to prevaricate alongside the potentially destabilizing propagation of Russian PAK DA bomber to wobbly actors, non-state groups, and/or other rogue nations.
Russia and China currently are showing cooperation in different sectors; but, in fact, the Sino-Russian cooperation belies the contention that defines the relationship between Moscow and Beijing. In 1969, the Soviet Union and China almost went to war with one another following lethal military conflict in the region. The frozen tundra along Russia’s far-eastern edge with China is recently becoming a hot zone as both states are suspected to deploy nuclear-capable missiles.
The natural resource rich southern/south-eastern border area of Russia is gradually being perched by Chinese intruders while Russian’s there are becoming minority ethnics. In defense sector also, there lies tremendous competition between the two nations. China is rapidly developing its air force, equipping them with the latest technologies. Though, there is still a huge gap between Moscow and Beijing in air supremacy, nonetheless, development of the PAK-DA will definitely challenge China’s growing eagerness to be a dominant air power in Asia.
So, the development of the PAK-DA portrays serious implications in regional security, especially in defense sector in comparison to both US and China. Once, being the dominant air force of the world, introduction of the PAK-DA in Russian Air Force will seriously challenge the supremacy of the United States. While Washington decided to step down in developing F-35 bombers, PAK-DA’s success for Russia will definitely compel the American leaders to rethink of developing PAK-DA’s comparable counterparts. China, though rapidly progressing to advance its air force will also think twice before taking any unilateral step to showcase its supremacy in Asia.
(The views expressed in this article belong only to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of World Geostrategic Insights)
Image Credit: pravda.ru