© Ministry of defence of the Russian Federation / Sputnik
A Tupolev Tu-160 supersonic strategic bomber
A Tupolev Tu-160 supersonic strategic bomber
"There is a high probability that we will see it in 2018," Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov told journalists during a visit to defence industry facilities in Nizhny Novgorod on Thursday.
The military official added that the PAK-DA (which stands for Prospective Aviation Complex for Long-range Aviation) will reach far beyond any existing long-range strategic bombers.
The PAK-DA project was started in 2009 by the Defense Ministry and the aircraft manufacturer Tupolev. While the work on the next generation bomber is being kept top secret, earlier this year, Long-Range Aviation Commander Lieutenant-General Anatoly Zhiharev, did shed some light on its characteristics.
"This is a fundamentally new plane with a new sighting and navigation system. This plane will be equipped with the latest communication systems and electronic warfare, and will have little visibility to radar," Zhiharev said.
The plane is expected to be able to cover a range of 6,740 nautical miles and carry around 30-40 tons of weapons including air-to-surface and air-to-air missiles as well as conventional and smart-guided bombs.
The military hopes to fly the first bombers in 2023. But for now, Borisov said, by 2020-21 the Defense Ministry plans to procure around 50 upgraded versions of Tu-160M2 supersonic strategic bombers.
"For now, the baseline number remains the same, but it can be adjusted as we are continuing work on the advanced long-range aviation complex (PAK DA). The current baseline figure for the Tu-160M2 is 50 aircraft," the Deputy Defense Minister said.
Recognising that Russia has:
1) the global edge on military might,
2) a disciplined and patriotic military mentality (with huge regard for veterans and Russian heroes)
3) a history of being abused, bullied, interfered with and taken for granted by others
4) a determination never to be controlled by outside forces again
5) a close association with China and other BRIC countries
6) a military in a state of readiness that is not scattered thinly around the globe
7) the moral high-ground (vs America which has decimated the Middle East, the Baltics, Asia and South America over the previous decades)
8) a predominantly defensive posture
9) a willingness to continue dialogue and negotiation
10) a frustration at being hemmed in on its borders by openly hostile and aggressive forces
11) a belief in their sovereign right to find a way of living that works for their population
... it is foolish to antagonise them or bait them in to doing battle.