by Maya Carlin, Warrior Contributor, Weapons
Putin clearly wants a new stealth bomber – well, Russia never has even had one stealth bomber – but likely will never get it. Here’s why:
The Kremlin is well known for spewing misinformation in the form of propaganda. Since Russian forces first invaded Ukraine last February, Moscow has consistently spread falsehoods and even misled its own citizens to support its war efforts.
For instance, many of Russia’s “top-of-the-line” fighter jets largely touted by the Kremlin to be formidable airframes have suffered humiliating blows throughout the conflict.
In addition to jets, the Kremlin has also marketed the alleged development and progress of its PAK DA long-range bomber.
Industry experts agree for the most part that the purported airframe is probably nothing more than a paper plane – at least for now.
Russia’s Process to Develop its Own Stealth Strategic Bomber
For decades, the U.S. military has dominated the airspace arena with cutting-edge stealth platforms across its services. The F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, Sr-71, and F-117 were groundbreaking airframes that continue to hold legendary status in the eyes of aviation buffs.
America’s monopoly on stealth bombers has also played an instrumental role in the country’s aerial dominance for decades.
Video Above: Air Dominance and Air Force Innovation
The U.S. remains the only nation on the planet to operate a stealth bomber in service today, and the final stages of the upcoming B-21 Raider airframe are set to complete the final development phase by 2027.
However, over the last few decades both China and Russia have prioritized their own stealth bomber programs. According to governmental claims, Moscow is expected to release its first bomber into service by 2027.
Since the late 1990s, the Kremlin has conceptualized and initiated the development of a next-generation stealth strategic bomber. The Russian Air Force relayed requirements for such an airframe to Tupolev Design Bureau in the early 2000s and began financing the bomber in 2008.
Tupolev designed Russia’s full fleet of heavy bombers, including the Tu-95 (designated “Bear” by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization), the Tu-22M3 (“Backfire”), and the Tu-160 (“Blackjack”).
What We Know About the PAK DA
According to Russian state media outlet TASS, the PAK DA will feature a flying wing design like America’s B-2 Spirit and the upcoming B-21 Raider. According to Popular Mechanics, the Russian-made bomber will weigh 145 metric tons at takeoff with a weapons payload capacity of 30 tons.
In comparison, the B-2 Spirit has a maximum takeoff weight of 150 metric tons and can hold up to 40 tons of ordnance.
Weapons-wise, “Russia plans to equip the new Tupolev with 12 new Kh-BD land attack cruise missiles. Kh-BD, like PAK-DA itself, has been in development for years without any concrete progress. The missiles, like the current-generation Kh-101 cruise missile, will carry conventional or nuclear warheads. They will also have an even longer range than the Kh-101, which at 3,400 miles is the longest range in the world for an operational cruise missile.”
While the introduction of a Russian stealth strategic bomber is probably inevitable, the PAK DA is likely not as menacing as the Kremlin would like us to believe.
As explained by Sandboxx News, the stealth properties of Russian airframes are limited by the country’s inability to mass-produce aircraft with the “extremely tight” production tolerances required of a stealth jet or bomber. Specifically, seams between a plane’s body panels can create a radar return – a flaw that could put the plane in danger.
Since economic sanctions have been imposed on the Kremlin, acquiring the parts and equipment necessary to achieve stealth characteristics has become more challenging. Additionally, many of Moscow’s premier airframes have been destroyed throughout the Ukraine invasion.
For this reason, the Kremlin is unlikely to spend its dwindling military budget on far-fetched projects like the PAK DA.
Maya Carlin is a Senior Editor with 19FortyFive. She is also an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel.
