The newest PAK DA will receive systems and engine from the Su-57 fighter

The next-generation PAK-DA strategic bomber being developed in Russia will use a significant amount of technology borrowed from the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter. The latter has already reached mass production rates and is showing off in the sky in front of foreign buyers.

Younger-Older Brother

Hydraulic actuators, gearboxes and control systems for the internal weapons bays of the new bomber were created taking into account the experience of the Su-57. Storing weapons inside the fuselage of a combat aircraft will ensure its high stealth.

The use of Su-57 technologies to improve the PAK DA is not new. For example, the modernized Tu-22M3M missile carrier already uses communication systems developed for the fighter, which are highly reliable, compact and energy efficient.

The possibility of using similar materials with low radar reflectivity is also being considered, which will significantly reduce maintenance costs and increase stealth.

Is the PAK DA program slowing down? Why?

However, the PAK DA program is currently facing some delays. According to Western sources, a shortage of high-precision machine tools is slowing down the production of components.

The Russian military-industrial complex (MIC) has gained access to modern Chinese machine tool equipment, which compensates for the degradation of the Soviet industrial base of the 1990s.

The design of the PAK DA was completed back in 2019, and bench tests of the "Product RF" engine, which is similar in technology to the AL-51F for the Su-57, were supposed to start in 2022.

Delays in the program led to the resumption of Tu-160 production in the mid-2010s as a temporary measure. The new strategic bomber is expected to enter service with Russia closer to the end of the 2030s. We hope that in the coming years we will see it in testing.

Accelerated development - gaining momentum

With the advent of the American B-21 and Chinese stealth drones, Russia needs modern strategic aviation complexes in order not to lag behind world standards.

The integration of Su-57 technologies into the PAK DA will allow unifying platforms, reducing development time and reducing risks in creating a new strategic bomber, while ensuring high combat effectiveness of the future Russian aircraft fleet.