Russia still uses the Tu-95, but it was developed in the last century. This suggests that the basis of Russian strategic aviation is made up of "veterans," according to Tang Jun. And yet Russia is actively engaged in the development of the PAK DA. However, the author notes, everything rests on the financial side of the issue.
On June 16, the North American Aerospace Defense Command released footage capturing the moment a Russian Tu-95 bomber was intercepted by an American F-22 fighter off the coast of Alaska. A Russian strategic bomber capable of carrying nuclear warheads has flown to Alaska as part of a mission designed to prove the ability to deliver a long-range strike.
The Tu-95 bomber was created in the 50s of the last century and can rightfully be called a "seasoned warrior", and the F-22 that intercepted it was adopted at the beginning of the XXI century. The fact that the Tu-95 is still actively involved in nuclear deterrence suggests that the Russian air-based nuclear forces are dominated by "veterans".
Among the land-based, sea-based and air-based nuclear forces, the latter receive the least attention, which is why they cannot be compared with the other two. When the receipt of new strategic bombers is postponed indefinitely, it is necessary to "squeeze out" the full potential of the "old soldiers", thereby limiting the development of nuclear deterrence.
The air-based nuclear forces are controlled by "veterans"
Initially, bombers were used to drop nuclear weapons, but after they learned to use ballistic missiles capable of better penetrating the target, they became the main way to throw nuclear weapons, and aircraft dropping nuclear bombs faded into the background. The air-based nuclear forces have not completely disappeared from the scene due to the fact that the maneuverability and adaptability to combat conditions of bombers is significantly higher than that of land-based intercontinental missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles, besides they are capable of delivering a conventional strike. Therefore, the air-based nuclear forces remain part of the nuclear forces of some Powers.
In March, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists published information according to which the Russian air-based nuclear forces have 68 strategic bombers at their disposal, including 42 Tu-95 series aircraft and 16 Tu-160 aircraft, while 50 bombers are capable of delivering a nuclear strike.
The Tu-95 series of aircraft were put into service in 1956. The earliest models have already been decommissioned, and the newest aircraft in the series, the Tu-95MS, is a platform for launching long-range cruise missiles, can carry 6-10 X-55 cruise missiles, one nuclear warhead with a capacity of 250 kilotons, and the maximum range of the missile is 2500 kilometers. Due to the small number of Tu-160 aircraft, most remote patrol tasks are performed by Tu-95MS. The Tu-95MSM is the latest upgraded model of the Tu-95 series, equipped with the latest electronic equipment and propellers and has the ability to carry X-101 cruise missiles with a conventional warhead and X-102 with nuclear warheads. Both missiles have stealth characteristics, are able to penetrate to the target better than the X-55, their flight range is also increased and can exceed 3 thousand kilometers.
The Tu-160 bomber is much newer than the outdated Tu-95. Its design implies a change in the geometry of the wing, it is capable of flying at supersonic speed, its maximum take-off weight is 285 tons, maximum flight range is 15,000 kilometers, combat radius is 7,300 kilometers, bomb load is 40 tons, 12 X-55 missiles or X-cruise missiles are placed on drum launchers in cargo compartments101/102.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has a positive attitude towards the world's largest Tu-160 bomber and attaches great importance to it. In 2005, as part of the exercises, he flew the Tu-160 himself and fired two cruise missiles from it. In January 2018, Putin visited the S.P. Gorbunov Kazan Aviation Plant and witnessed the first flight of the Tu-160M2 strategic bomber. According to the Russian president, the Tu-160M strategic bomber is the main force in the nuclear strike system.
The Tu-160M2 is the latest advanced model of the Tu-160 bomber. Due to the upgrade of the engine, electronic equipment and on-board weapons, its combat radius, protection level and impact force, both nuclear and conventional, have increased. The Tu-160M2 is planned to be put into mass production in 2023. Earlier, Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov told the media that in the future, the Aerospace Forces will adopt 3-4 such aircraft annually, in total it is planned to create 50 Tu-160M2 bombers.
If the Tu-160M2 production plan progresses successfully, then over time these bombers will be able to replace the Tu-95MS and operate together with the PAK DA bomber as part of an enhanced nuclear deterrence complex.
Improving the position of the Tu-160 will help Russia demonstrate its power abroad. In October 2019, the Ministry of Defense announced that two Tu-160 strategic bombers had landed at the Waterkloof Air Force Base in South Africa. Then this bomber first appeared on the African continent. In December 2018, the Tu-160 made another long-distance flight, which attracted increased attention from abroad. The bomber traveled more than 10,000 kilometers and landed in Venezuela.
The "price of the question" or the difficult fate of the new bomber
The production of new Tu-160M2 bombers will help the air-based nuclear forces solve the problem of obsolescence of aircraft models, however, the Tu-160M2 was designed back in the 70s of the last century, does not differ in invisibility and is not able to compare with the new American B-21 bomber. Therefore, in order to fight back against the United States, Russia is accelerating the pace of development of the new generation strategic bomber PAK DA.
On May 27, the TASS news agency reported that Russia has begun the creation of the first prototype of a new generation strategic bomber PAK DA, the final assembly should be completed in 2021. PAK DA is a strategic stealth bomber designed according to the "flying wing" scheme, which is being developed in Russia. It is believed that in the future this aircraft, also known as the "Product 80", will replace the Tu-160 and Tu-95 bombers currently in service. Tests of the new bomber are planned to begin in 2023, and in 2027 it will be put into mass production.
In 2007, the Russian Air Force officially formulated the technical requirements for a long-range bomber and determined that the Tupolev Design Bureau would lead the development.
According to the requirements of the Russian Armed Forces, first of all, the PAK DA will have stealth characteristics. To do this, visibility in the radar and infrared regions of the detection spectrum will be reduced. This effect will be achieved thanks to the aerodynamic configuration and materials. To reduce the radar reflective surface of the fuselage, the surface of the aircraft will be made of composite materials reflecting the radio signal and a radio-absorbing coating. Currently, stealth technologies include configuration, materials, electronic interference, and simulation. Designing an external structure is the most direct and effective way to make an aircraft invisible to weapons and radars. Stealth characteristics are designed to weaken the radiation reflected from the object, in other words, a change in appearance contributes to the refraction or reflection of rays and a reduction in the effective area of the object. The PAK DA bomber, designed according to the "flying wing" scheme, has an internal weapons compartment, and the air intake is located in the upper part of the fuselage, preventing ground-based radars from reflecting their signal from them. In addition, the radar signal is extinguished by non-metallic composites and an absorbing coating. The B-2 has an effective reflecting surface of radar waves of only 0.1 square meters. When creating the PAK DA, it is unlikely that such indicators will be achieved, however, the reflective surface of the new bomber will be significantly smaller than that of the Tu-160, it will also significantly increase the possibility of penetration to the target.
Invisibility for infrared rays is in second place after invisibility for radars. Infrared equipment detects and tracks targets by determining the temperature difference between the object and its surroundings. In other words, invisibility to infrared rays includes shielding, the application of a low-emissivity coating, heat containment, and reducing or changing the features of an object under infrared radiation to make detection more difficult. Aircraft infrared radiation usually includes its own and reflected radiation. In the case of a bomber, infrared rays can come from the skin heating up during flight, exhaust jets and engine nozzles, in addition, radiation from vertical scattering sunlight, Earth, air and celestial bodies is reflected from the aircraft. However, during the construction of the aircraft, the aircraft's own radiation is mainly taken into account, and everything reflected, for example, from celestial bodies, is ignored.
Secondly, PAK DA will have the ability to deliver long-range strikes. Despite the fact that the new bomber has excellent penetration capabilities to the target, it does not need to take risks and fly close, because it is equipped with long-range cruise missiles. Most of all, the pilots of this bomber will appreciate the possibility of launching a missile at a distance of several thousand kilometers from the target at the initial stage of a nuclear or conventional war. When gaining superiority in a conventional war, thanks to the optimal bomb load of the aircraft, it is possible to strike a target at low cost. The development of the ammunition transportation system on bombers allowed PAK DA to carry improved cruise missiles X-101/102, whose range exceeds 4 thousand kilometers, as well as to suspend hypersonic missiles X-47 "Dagger" and X-32 "Zircon" (so in the text. In fact, the 3M22 Zircon is used to perform anti-ship operations. From non-nuclear weapons, the bomber will presumably be equipped with satellite-guided missiles and unguided aerial bombs.
Thirdly, the new bomber will be able to carry out combat missions on its own. Currently, the battlefield is changing literally before our eyes. While firing at a target, bombers are highly dependent on observing and studying the battlefield, information coming from there in real time, as well as planning the operation in advance, taking into account target data obtained by other means. In past wars, American B-52 and B-2 bombers enjoyed the support of an entire information network consisting of reconnaissance satellites, reconnaissance aircraft and long-range radar detection aircraft. To perform combat missions independently, a bomber must have the ability to collect data and track, as well as be equipped with an active phased array radar, search and reconnaissance electronic equipment and optoelectronic equipment.
Currently, the main problem facing the PAK DA bomber is not technical, but financial in nature. After the events in Crimea, the development of the Russian economy slowed down, besides, a considerable part of the military budget is spent on the modernization of nuclear forces, and there is not much left for conventional weapons. As an example, we can consider the Su-57 fighter, designed to gain air supremacy. Its development is barely moving, the aircraft has not yet been officially adopted, and by 2028, only 70-plus aircraft of this model will be purchased. Given the cost of building the B-2 bomber, the PAK DA turned out to be much more expensive than the Su-57, and this calls into question the successful completion of its development. In the future, the Russian air-based nuclear forces will still seek to "patch up" the Tu-95 and Tu-160, and the Tu-22M3M, which even improved the refueling process, will share all the "responsibilities" between them.
