Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

PAK DA imagined map. Source: China Aviation News

According to “China Aviation News” reported: Russian media reported the end of 2009, Russian Tupolev company intends to complete in 2017 a new strategic bomber development work in order to begin between 2020 to 2025 Batch production. As planned, the Tupolev company should be completed in 2012, research work, in order to balance the transition to the experimental design stage. Need to make the body in 2017, 2020 to 2025 should be manufactured airborne equipment.

Russia’s next-generation bomber program’s official name is “the future of long-range aviation system” (PAK DA), and the concern of the fifth generation fighter “future front-line aviation system” (PAK FA), compared, PAK DA once seemed obscure, and last year at the end of this news makes it a focus of international attention. As the public information on PAK DA is very rare, its true face can only make a rough guess.

Company History

still in the 1990s, when the Russian Air Force commander Jieyi Nie gold hope that a new, cheaper bomber to replace Figure-22M and Tu-160. He said: “multi-purpose medium bombers to the strategic bomber would be a great impact, because they are more expensive and relatively difficult to find.” Perhaps he refers to “project 54S” bombers. The research project stalled in 1991, and in the economic situation is very bad attempt to re-launched in 1994. To be fair, this is indeed a revolutionary bomber, but it can not completely replace the Tu-160′s status and role.

1999, Russia launched a new bomber design, the purpose is to replace the existing map-95MS and Tu-160, but this plan was unrealistic to hope to replace the medium bomber strategic bombers. According to the draft plan, the new machine must be completed by 2010, but the problem is impossible at this time there are enough 20-ton thrust of the AL-41F engines.

“medium-range bomber,” the word in the present conditions it is difficult to understand: the Su-34? Or figure-22M? Or something in between a plane? In the past, the word is very clear: Figure-16, Figure 22, Figure-22M and the United States are the medium-range B-58 bomber. “Remote” is defined range of 7000 kilometers. The “long-range strategic flights” is flying at least 12,000 km. Tu-160 has a range up to 14,000 km.

estimated, PAK DA-22M can use the existing map bases and runways. Flight time is about 2015 ~ 2021, the 2027 production of 100 or so, produce 10 to 12 or one per month.

alleged, PAK DA will continue for the Tu-160 design ideas, which means it is unlikely similar to the U.S. B-2 stealth bomber. And B-2 stealth bomber similar to the Russian project the mid-1990s has been suspended. Later PAK DA project, the MiG design bureau Sukhoi Design Bureau and the Tupolev Design Bureau have put forward their own programs, including the MiG design bureau program is a hypersonic bomber, Sukhoi Design Bureau The program is based on an existing design, and Tupolev Design Bureau hopes to continue to significantly improve the map-22M, the development of a 50-ton twin variable-geometry wing bombers, Tu-160 is about half the size. From the current situation, should the program be Tupolev Design Bureau PAK DA project ultimately selected, but the initial data has undergone some major changes.

alleged, PAK DA’s maximum takeoff weight of not more than 125 tons, with supersonic cruise capability, maximum flight speed of Mach 1.5 to 2, the aircraft thrust to weight ratio of 0.5. On this basis, twin-engine single-PAK DA thrust force of about 31,000 kg. But the problem is present, Russia does not have this level of engine thrust, so some people speculated, PAK DA 117S engine may be installed four (for the fifth-generation fighter PAK FA) an improved version of this engine thrust of 15,500 kg single force. Advantage of using a modified version of 117S, the future PAK DA and the PAK FA’s power plant will have a very high versatility.

117S engine installation on the Su-35 when the fuel consumption of 1.25 kg/km, if PAK DA’s aerodynamic shape and excellent use of new technologies, 117S engine’s fuel consumption is expected to drop to 1 kg/km, so that four 117S engine installation improved the range of one thousand meters PAK DA executive 12,500 strategic bombing mission only carry 50 tons fuel.

weapons, PAK DA KH-101 could carry conventional cruise missiles or KH-102 strategic nuclear strategic cruise missiles. KH-101 the whole weight of 2200 ~ 2400 kg, warhead weight 400 kg, a maximum range of 5000 ~ 5500 km.