Russia started developing the Tupolev PAK DA as its first stealth bomber to supplant the current bomber in service with the Russian Air Force. Some believe it is a duplicate of the US B-2 Spirit that has been leaked online, causing a frenzy among western experts scrambling to evaluate it.
Russian Stealth Bomber Designs Surfaced on the Net
A technical design for an engine uptake duct has recently leaked, and this is believed to be the basic design for Putin's first stealth bomber, reported EurAsian Times.
Though work began in 2007 to replace long-range bombers such as the Tupolev Tu-95MS Bear-H and Tu-160 Blackjack, which are faster than subsonic stealth bombers, noted the Drive.
Despite rumors of a flying wing arrangement, no officially acknowledged models or artworks have been verified. For the time being, Russian aerospace forces in Ukraine are using the T-90 and T-160 bombers as platforms to deliver cruise missiles.
Previously, sources in the Russian aircraft manufacturing business told the Russian news outlet TASS that a test model of the PAK DA long-range bomber aircraft is expected to be finished by 2023.
According to Russia's deputy defense minister, Alexey Krivoruchko, in a December 2019 interview, the jet has been approved, but no actual documentation has been made public.
Even the origins of the American bomber are steeped in obscurity. Nonetheless, the US Air Force released a B-21 rendering last year, unlike the Russians.
Western Experts Claim Russia's Aircraft Not so Stealthy
The Tupolev PAK DA is designed the same way as the USAF's B-2, with a flying wing and everything that comes with it. No pieces are protruding from the fuselage.
Most of these low-observable flying wings are based on the US B-2 Spirit. It has a slanted nose but clearly cranked wings, with a 35-degree angle flying wing/fuselage and a serrated trailing edge. Outboard regions of narrower wings have less severe sweep angles.
The patent illustration depicts a kinked wing that might not make it to the prototype. According to Piotr Butowski, a Russian aviation specialist who wrote about the PAK bomber will have a continuous, leading-edge angle like the B-2.
It will make the prototype look a lot like a B-21 bomber. Differences exist with the B-21 Raider design of the USAF when it comes to simplicity. Compared to a platypus or shelf-type exhaust system, the PAK features engine exhaust on the wing's trailing edge for the dual-engine stealth bomber.
Only China, the US, and Russia have the capability to develop their stealth-capable aircraft program, though Russia is thought to be the third-ranked in such technology.
The only operational stealth fighter in the nation, the Sukhoi Su-57, is undoubtedly the least stealthy aircraft of the fifth generation currently operational, and the PAK DA's prospects aren't much better.
Many western experts discount this stealth bomber even before the actual prototype. Tupolev PAK DA is a low observable bomber that will be fielded to combat a new kind of battle using stealth as a weapon.
Related Article: New B-21 Stealth Bomber Can Defend Itself with Air to Air Missiles
