Aggregate assembly of prototypes of the new strategic bomber PAK DA has begun in Russia, said the head of the RF Ministry of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov in an interview with Interfax.
“In accordance with the contract and the consolidated schedule, a phased transfer of working design documentation to the manufacturer is underway. At the production site itself, the aggregate assembly of prototypes is underway,” Manturov said.
He said that the development work on creating the promising long-range bomber is being implemented as planned.
“Of course, we set the task of creating equipment that is superior in capabilities to the equipment of other countries,” said Manturov, answering the question about comparing the characteristics of the PAK DA with the American competitor B-21 Raider.
PAK DA is being built by the Tupolev company (part of the UAC) and it is a replacement of Tu-160, Tu-95, and Tu-22M3 currently in service.
According to official information, the new generation strategic bomber-missile carrier will be made according to the “flying wing” aerodynamic design (without the tail unit) and built using stealth technologies. It was also reported that the PAK DA will be subsonic and can carry more weapons than the Tu-160, including hypersonic.
Earlier, Alexander Konyukhov, being the general director of Tupolev had informed the media that the rollout of the prototype of the PAK DA is planned for 2021-2022. Yuri Borisov, the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation (now Deputy Prime Minister), said that the PAK DA could make its first flight in 2025-2026, and the start of mass production is scheduled for 2028-2029.