Meet the PAK DA: Pure coincidence is not likely in that both Russia and China are now fast-tracking new stealth bomber platforms in what could be seen as a transparent effort to compete with the emerging U.S. Air Force B-21.
Competing Stealth Bombers
While China’s H-20 is reasonably well known and written up as a significant concern in the Pentagon’s annual China report for its expanding range and potential stealth properties, there is less known about the Russian PAK DA bomber.
Russia’s TASS news agency reports that initial prototypes will emerge as soon as this year in 2023 and begin production in 2027.
The extent of the aircraft’s stealth properties is, in many respects, likely extremely difficult if not impossible to discern.
Does it use any kind of radar-absorbent coating materials, thermal management technology, or other critical stealth properties?
Its configuration looks stealthy, although a bit larger and even flatter than the B-2, B-21, or H-20.
PAK DA: Designed for Stealth
There is a blended wing-body, and its inlets are rectangles built into the body of the wing, therefore leaving virtually no vertical structure or protruding shapes and configurations.
This may indeed be quite stealthy, and available specs say it can take off with a maximum weight of 30 tons, considerably larger than both the B-2 and B-21.
Its larger size may account for its much larger max payload weight, as the B-2 can reportedly only take off at 20-ton max weight and the B-21 is even lighter at 15 tons.
However, while a larger, heavier bomber able to carry more munitions can extend mission dwell time, it can decrease stealth effectiveness and potentially be more vulnerable to air defenses and air threats.
The larger payload may pertain to reports as far back as 2013 from Russia’s RIA newspaper that the PAK DA will fire conventional, nuclear, and hypersonic weapons.
Both the B-21 and PAK DA are also slated to fire air-launched cruise missiles. According to a TASS report from 2021. “The PAK DA is expected to deploy Kh-102 nuclear-tipped stealthy cruise missiles, and a number of newer hypersonic designs including derivatives of the Kh-47M2.”
The U.S. B-21 is slated to fly armed with the new Long Range Standoff Weapon (LRSO), a nuclear-capable, air-launched cruise missile intended to hold targets at risk at greater standoff ranges to reduce the risk of destruction by enemy air defenses.
Still, other critical questions of great relevance to the PAK DA include whether the new Russian bomber will operate with the ability to conduct unmanned missions or control nearby unmanned systems, as is discussed for the U.S. Air Force B-21.
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Kris Osborn is the Military Affairs Editor of 19FortyFive and President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
