Il Boeing Saab T-7 Red Hawk è un aereo da addestramento monomotore a a getto con capacità supersonica sviluppato dall'azienda statunitense Boeing in collaborazione con la Svedese Saab a partire dal 2013.
Originariamente noto come Boeing TX, è stato selezionato il 27 settembre 2018 dall'USAF come vincitore del programma Advanced Pilot Training System (TX) in sostituzione del Northrop T-38 Talon.
Storia del progetto
L’Air Education and Training Command (AETC) dell'USAF, a partire dal 2003 iniziò a sviluppare i requisiti per la sostituzione del Northrop T-38 Talon.
Inizialmente, fu previsto che l'ingresso in servizio dell'addestratore dovesse avvenire nel 2020, ma l'ennesimo incidente che coinvolse un T-38C nel 2008, causando la morte dell'equipaggio, spinse l'USAF ad avanzare come data ultima per il raggiungimento della capacità operativa iniziale (CIO) il 2017. Poi, nella proposta di bilancio per l'anno fiscale 2013, l'USAF suggerì di ritardare la capacità operativa iniziale all'anno fiscale 2020 con l'assegnazione del contratto alla società vincitrice non prima dell'anno fiscale 2016.
In seguito, la riduzione dei budget e progetti di modernizzazione hanno spinto a far slittare all'anno fiscale 2023 o 2024 la scelta del vincitore del programma. Sebbene il programma fu completamente escluso dal budget dell'esercizio 2014, il servizio ha comunque considerato il trainer come una priorità.
In collaborazione con il proprio partner, il gruppo aerospaziale svedese Saab, Boeing presentò alla competizione il Boeing T-X, un addestratore a getto avanzato monomotore con una doppia deriva, abitacolo in tandem e carrello d'atterraggio triciclo retrattile.
L'aeromobile presentato e i modelli dimostrativi erano alimentati da un motore turboventola General Electric F404 dotato di postbruciatore.
Boeing ha presentato al pubblico il suo aereo il 13 settembre 2016, mentre il primo volo è avvenuto il 20 dicembre dello stesso anno.
Il 27 settembre 2018, il progetto di Boeing fu ufficialmente annunciato come vincitore del programma per il nuovo addestratore a getto per l'U.S. Air Force. Un totale di 351 aerei e 46 simulatori, addestramento alla manutenzione e supporto erano compresi nel programma di 9,2 miliardi di dollari.
Il velivolo di Boeing nella fase finale del programma, ha battuto sia il coreano T-50A proposto dal consorzio composto da Lockheed Martin e KAI (Korea Aerospace Industries), sia l'italiana Leonardo con il suo M-346, nell'occasione ridenominato T-100.
Nel maggio 2019, Saab ha annunciato che avrebbe aperto un impianto di produzione statunitense per il T-X nell'Indiana, in collaborazione con la Purdue University.
Il 1º luglio 2019 Boeing ha dato ufficialmente inizio al programma di test di volo riguardanti la fase EMD (Engineering Manufacturing Development) per la valutazione dei requisiti operativi dell'aereo. Il programma di prove di volo partito con i primi 2 prototipi designati T-X BTX (matricole N381TX ed N382TX) finanziati dall’azienda e costruiti durante la gara T-X, mentre i test con la versione definitiva del velivolo – finanziato dall’Air Force - verranno eseguiti nel 2020, dopo la Critical Design Review prevista entro la fine del 2019. I 2 aerei citati hanno già totalizzato 72 voli complessivi nella fase prove preliminari - l'ultimo dei quali nel dicembre 2018 - precedenti alla fase di valutazione e sviluppo EMD che rappresenta l’ultima fase di test prima dell’avvio della produzione degli apparecchi. Rispetto a tali voli, sui quali sono stati effettuate analisi approfondite fino al giugno 2019, proprio in vista dell’avvio dei test EMD, i prototipi (che Boeing preferisce designare come “piattaforme pienamente configurate”) sono stati modificati dall’azienda di St. Louis con nuovi seggiolini eiettabili ACES 5 della Collins Aerospace, nonché con un nuovo sistema di generazione dell’ossigeno (OBOGS).
Il 16 settembre 2019, fu annunciato che l'aereo sarebbe stato ufficialmente nominato T-7A Red Hawk in onore dei Tuskegee Airmen e del Curtiss P-40 Warhawk.
Il 15 ottobre 2019 Boeing annunciò che il T-7A aveva superato con successo i test di velocità a bassa quota. L'aereo ha raggiunto una velocità di 901 Km/h (487 nodi) a 150 piedi (47,5 metri) da terra.
Versioni: T-7A - Versione iniziale, addestratore avanzato per l’USAF.
Utilizzatori:
Stati Uniti - USAF - 351 T-7A ordinati a settembre 2018 con un contratto da 9,2 miliardi che prevede la consegna anche di 46 simulatori e attrezzature di terra associate, con primi velivoli che dovrebbero essere consegnati nel 2023.
COCKPIT
La Elbit Systems of America ha confermato che fornirà alla Boeing una serie di prodotti - tra cui i display della cabina di pilotaggio, i datalink e le capacità di addestramento integrato per il T-7A Red Hawk (precedentemente noto come T-X) che la Boeing sta sviluppando per l'Aeronautica Militare degli Stati Uniti. Nella fase iniziale, Boeing è stata scelta per consegnare 351 addestratori, 46 simulatori e le relative attrezzature di terra per un valore contrattuale di 9,2 miliardi di dollari, con consegne che iniziano nell'arco di 10 anni, dal 2024 al 2034.
Nel corso della durata del programma, si prevede che questo numero salirà a 1.000 istruttori. Elbit Systems of America è entrata a far parte del team Boeing-Saab in una fase iniziale e si prevede che diventerà un fornitore unico per questi articoli. Le stime degli analisti sul valore del pacchetto sono di 250 milioni di dollari per la fase iniziale e di oltre un miliardo di dollari per tutta la durata del programma, escluse le esportazioni future.
ENGLISH
The Boeing/Saab T-7 Red Hawk, originally known as the Boeing T-X, is an American/Swedish advanced jet trainer developed by Boeing Defense, Space & Security in partnership with Saab Group.
It was selected on 27 September 2018 by the United States Air Force (USAF) as the winner of the T-X program to replace the Northrop T-38 Talon.
Design and development
The USAF's Air Education and Training Command (AETC) began developing the requirements for a replacement for the Northrop T-38 Talon as early as 2003. Originally, the replacement trainer was expected to enter service around 2020. A fatigue failure in 2008 killed the two-person crew of a T-38C, and the USAF advanced the target date of initial operational capability (IOC) to 2017. In the Fiscal 2013 budget proposal, the USAF suggested delaying the initial operating capability to FY2020 with the contract award not expected before FY2016. Shrinking budgets and higher priority modernization projects pushed the IOC of the T-X program winner to "fiscal year 2023 or 2024". Although the program was left out of the FY 2014 budget entirely, the service still viewed the trainer as a priority.
In cooperation with its Swedish aerospace group partner, Saab Group, Boeing's submission to the competition was the Boeing T-X, a single-engine advanced jet trainer with a twin tail, tandem seating and retractable tricycle landing gear. The submitted aircraft and demonstration models were powered by a General Electric F404 afterburning turbofan engine.
Boeing revealed its aircraft to the public on 13 September 2016. The first T-X aircraft flew on 20 December 2016.
On 27 September 2018, Boeing's design was officially announced as the USAF's new advanced jet trainer, replacing the T-38 Talon. A total of 351 aircraft and 46 simulators, maintenance training and support are to be supplied at a program cost of US$9.2 billion.
In May 2019, Saab announced that it would open a U.S. manufacturing facility for the T-X in Indiana in partnership with Purdue University.
On 16 September 2019, the USAF officially named the aircraft the "T-7A Red Hawk" as a tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen, who painted their airplanes' tails red, and to the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, one of the aircraft flown by the Tuskegee Airmen.
Variants:
BTX-1 - Two prototypes for evaluation.
T-7A - Production aircraft for the U.S. Air Force.
Operators: United States - United States Air Force.
Specifications:
General characteristics
Crew: 2
Powerplant: 1 × General Electric F404-GE-103 Afterburning turbofan, 11,000 lbf (49 kN) thrust dry, 17,000 lbf (76 kN) with afterburner.
COCKPIT
Elbit Systems of America confirmed it will supply Boeing a number of products – including cockpit displays, datalinks, and embedded training capabilities for the T-7A Red Hawk (formerly known as T-X) advanced pilot training aircraft Boeing is developing for the United States Air Force. In the initial phase, Boeing was selected to deliver 351 trainers, 46 simulators and associated ground equipment at a contract value of $9.2 billion with deliveries commencing over 10 years, from 2024 to 2034.
Over the program life, that number is expected to grow to 1,000 trainers. Elbit Systems of America has joined the Boeing-Saab team at an early stage and is expected to become a sole supplier for those items. Analyst estimates of the package value are $250 million for the initial phase and over one billion US$ over the life of the program, not including future exports.
(Web, Google, defense-update, Wikipedia, You Tube)
Il GAM-87/AGM-48 Skybolt era un missile balistico aviolanciato ALBM (Air-Launched Ballistic Missile) nucleare prodotto dalla Douglas.
Storia
In conseguenza di studi effettuati nel 1958 che affermavano la fattibilità del lancio di missili balistici nucleari da bordo di aerei in alta quota, venne commissionata nel 1959 una fornitura alla Douglas di missili da utilizzare sui B-52H Statofortress americani. In piena guerra fredda, nell'ambito degli accordi di collaborazione sulle tecnologie strategiche, si unì al programma la RAF programmando l'utilizzo di questi sistemi d'arma sugli Avro Vulcan. Nel gennaio 1961 iniziarono i test, ma dopo i primi cinque lanci falliti il programma venne cancellato nel dicembre 1962, proprio in concomitanza con il primo lancio riuscito, lasciando senza un programma di grande interesse sia l'USAF che la RAF, che per esso aveva rinunciato allo sviluppo autonomo del Blue Streak. Il presidente John Kennedy cancellò il programma seguendo le raccomandazioni del segretario alla difesa Robert McNamara, creando una crisi dei rapporti USA-Regno Unito, non ottemperando agli accordi presi in precedenza dal presidente Eisenhower e relativi allo fornitura di tecnologie nucleari ai britannici. La tensione fu tuttavia sanata grazie all'accordo di Nassau stipulato con Harold Macmillan, che prevedeva la fornitura da parte degli Stati Uniti al Regno Unito di missili a testata nucleare del tipo UGM-27 Polaris per compensare della fine del precedente programma congiunto.
Tecnica
Il missile era stato realizzato in una configurazione a due stadi a propellente solido. Il primo stadio aveva il controllo di traiettoria basato sull'utilizzo degli stabilizzatori, il secondo stadio aveva la guida basata sulla orientazione dell'ugello del motore a razzo. Il B-52H poteva imbarcare quattro Skybolt montati sotto i piloni alari. Al missile, in previsione dell'aggancio all'ala del bombardiere, veniva montato un cono aerodinamico a copertura dei suoi stabilizzatori, che serviva a ridurre l'effetto di freno aerodinamico sull'aereo vettore. Al momento del lancio, il missile veniva sganciato dall'ala del aereo, perdeva il cono aerodinamico e accendeva il primo stadio. Al termine dell'accensione del secondo stadio, l'arma assumeva una traiettoria balistica che la portava ad avere una portata dichiarata di 1850 km. Il progetto prevedeva l'utilizzo di un modulo di rientro Mk.7 con a bordo una testata nucleare W59 da 1,2 megatoni. Alcuni test continuarono anche dopo la cancellazione del programma e il missile venne designato XAGM-48A. Ne vennero costruiti meno di 100 esemplari.
ENGLISH
The Douglas GAM-87 Skybolt (AGM-48 under the 1962 Tri-service system) was an air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) developed by the United States during the late 1950s. The basic concept was to allow US strategic bombers to launch their weapons from well outside the range of Soviet defenses, as much as 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from their targets. To do this in an air-launched form, a lightweight thermonuclear warhead was needed. Initially, the W47 from the Polaris missile was selected, but it was later replaced by the W59 from the Minuteman missile.
The UK joined the Skybolt program in 1960, intending to use it on their V bomber force. When the design added a star tracker in addition to its inertial navigation system (INS) this meant that it could only be carried externally (where the tracker could see the sky) and the requirement for adequate ground clearance on takeoff limited it to the Avro Vulcan bomber. A number of design decisions in the W47 led the RAF to question its safety, so they intended to use their own Red Snow warheads. This was a heavier warhead and would reduce the range to about 600 miles (970 km), meaning the bombers would have to cross the Soviet coastline to attack Moscow.
Testing began in 1962 and was initially marked by a string of failures. These failures, along with a lack of mission after the successful development of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), led to its cancellation in December 1962. The UK had decided to base its entire 1960s deterrent force on Skybolt, and its cancellation led to a major disagreement between the UK and US, known today as the "Skybolt Crisis". This was resolved by a series of meetings that led to the Royal Navy gaining the UGM-27 Polaris missile and construction of the Resolution-class submarines to launch them.
History
Background
The US Air Force had built up an enormous fleet of strategic bombers during the 1950s, only to see them threatened by the possibility of a surprise attack by Soviet ICBMs. As the US bombers were located at only a small number of air bases, a relatively small fleet of missiles could attack them all. The US had been developing its own ICBMs but early models like the SM-65 Atlas required some time to prepare to launch from their surface launchers and open to sneak air attack. A carefully timed attack from bombers against US missiles and missiles against US bombers could inflict serious damage.
The one weapon system that was not open to attack was the US Navy's Polaris missile system. The Polaris submarines could cruise in large areas of the Atlantic or Pacific where the Soviet fleet was unable to find them, and launch their missiles with impunity. If the goal of the nuclear force was to maintain deterrence by ensuring that a counterstrike would be launched, Polaris met this goal in a way the existing Air Force fleet could not. This fact was more worrying to the Air Force than the Soviet arsenal and generated a number of internal reports on how to deal with this threat to their dominance in the strategic field.
WS-199 and WS-138
In response, in 1957 the Air Force began studying solutions to the "Puzzle of Polaris" under the WS-199 program. WS-199 was a grab-bag effort, studying anything that might improve the survivability of the Air Force strike capability. Primary among these were two air-launched ballistic missiles, Bold Orion and High Virgo. These systems would give the Air Force a system somewhat similar to the Navy's; in times of high alert, the bomber force would be sent to holding positions far outside the range of any Soviet defenses, and then launch their missiles on command. Using aerial refueling, a bomber might be expected to be able to loiter for as long as a day.
But this system had a major advantage compared to Polaris, as the missiles could be retargeted before launch. In theory, the bombers could be used as a second-strike weapon, attacking only those targets that had been missed in a first-strike, or alternately, being switched from counterforce to countervalue targets or vice versa. Ground-based systems like Atlas and Polaris lacked this ability, and could only be retargeted with a significant amount of effort. Even the latest Air Force design, the LGM-30 Minuteman, required changes in targeting data to be loaded from magnetic tape in a process that took several weeks.
WS-199 was generally successful, but the two ALBMs had shorter range than desired. The Air Force tendered bids for a longer-range version in early 1959. Douglas Aircraft received the prime contract in May, and in turn subcontracted to Northrop for the guidance system, Aerojet for the propulsion system, and General Electric for the reentry vehicle. The system was initially known as WS-138A and was given the official name GAM-87 Skybolt in 1960.
British involvement
At the same time, the Royal Air Force (RAF) was having problems with their MRBM missile project, the Blue Streak, which was long overdue. Even if this was successful it faced the serious problem of basing. No fixed land-based missile system could be credibly installed in the British Isles; they were well within the range of Soviet air strikes. The limited land mass available meant it would be relatively easy for missile sites to be spotted no matter what security measures were taken. Suitable locations for construction also carried a social and political cost. Fixed land-based ballistic missile sites need many thousands of acres per squadron (typically ten missiles); and the squadrons need to be apportioned over many thousands of square miles so that no single attack could conceivably destroy them all in one strike.
This left the deterrent based on their own bomber force, the V bomber fleet, which the RAF had already long concluded would be unable to penetrate Soviet defenses by about 1960. The RAF was in the process of introducing their own stand-off missile, the 950 kilometres (590 mi) ranged Mach 3 Blue Steel. While capable, the missile flew at altitudes and speeds that left it vulnerable to improving SAMs, and it had a number of reliability and serviceability issues that made it less than ideal. A faster, longer-ranged version was being designed, Blue Steel II, but it would be some time before it could enter service.
The long-range Skybolt would eliminate the need for both the Blue Streak and the Blue Steel II. Blue Steel II was canceled in December 1959 and the British Cabinet decided in February 1960 to cancel Blue Streak as well. Prime Minister Macmillan met President Eisenhower in March 1960 and agreed to purchase 144 Skybolts for the RAF. By agreement, British funding for research and development was limited to that required to modify the V bombers to take the missile, but the British were allowed to fit their own warheads and the Americans were given nuclear submarine basing facilities in Scotland. Following the agreement, the Blue Streak program was formally canceled in April 1960 and in May 1960 an agreement for an initial order of 100 Skybolts was concluded.
Avro was made an associate contractor to manage the Skybolt program for the United Kingdom and four different schemes were submitted to find a platform for the missile. A number of different aircraft were considered, including a variant of the Vickers VC10 airliner and two of the current V bombers, the Avro Vulcan and Handley Page Victor. It was decided to use the Vulcan to initially carry two missiles each on hardpoints outboard of the main landing gear.
Development and testing
During development, it was decided that the system could not reach the required accuracy at the desired range without an update to the guidance system. This led to the introduction of a star tracker platform that would be used to further enhance the existing inertial navigation system. The system was capable of tracking bright stars in direct sunlight, a challenging requirement. This change meant that the missile could only be carried in locations where the front of the missile could continually observe the sky. This had always been the case on the USAF's B-52 bombers, where they were carried under the wings, but presented a problem for some of the UK designs. In the end, Skybolt was limited to the Vulcan.
By 1961, several test articles were ready for testing from B-52's, with drop-tests starting in January. In January 1961 a Vulcan visited the Douglas plant at Santa Monica, California, to make sure the modifications to the aircraft were electrically compatible with the missile. In Britain, compatibility trials with mockups started on the Vulcan. Powered tests started in April 1962, but the test series went badly, with the first five trials ending in failure of one sort or another. The first fully successful flight occurred on 19 December 1962.
Cancellation
By this point, the value of the Skybolt system in the US had been seriously eroded. The Polaris had recently gone into service, with overall capabilities similar to Skybolt, but with "loiter" times on the order of months instead of hours. Additionally, the US Air Force itself was well into the process of developing the Minuteman missile, whose improved accuracy reduced the need for any bomber attacks. Robert McNamara was particularly opposed to the bomber force and repeatedly stated he felt that the combination of SLBMs and ICBMs would render them useless. He pressed for the cancellation of Skybolt as an unnecessary program.
The British, on the other hand, had canceled all other projects to concentrate fully on Skybolt. When McNamara informed them that they were considering canceling the program in November 1962, a firestorm of protest broke out in the House of Commons. Jo Grimond noted "Does not this mark the absolute failure of the policy of the independent deterrent? Is it not the case that everybody else in the world knew this, except the Conservative Party in this country?" President Kennedy officially cancelled the program on 22 December 1962.
As the political row grew into a major crisis, an emergency meeting between parties from the US and UK was called, leading to the Nassau agreement. Over the next few days a new plan was hammered out that saw the UK purchase the Polaris SLBM, but equipped with British warheads that lacked the dual-key system. The UK would thus retain its independent deterrent force, although its control passed from the RAF largely to the Royal Navy. The Polaris, a much better weapon system for the UK, was a major "scoop" and has been referred to as "almost the bargain of the century". The RAF kept a tactical nuclear capability with the WE.177 which armed V bombers and later the Panavia Tornado force.
A B-52G launched the last XGAM-87A missile down the Atlantic Missile Range a day after the program was canceled. In June 1963, the XGAM-87A was redesignated as XAGM-48A.
Description
The GAM-87 was powered by a two-stage solid-fuel rocket motor. The missile was fitted with a tailcone to reduce drag while on the pylon, which was ejected shortly after being dropped from the plane. After first stage burnout, the Skybolt coasted for a while before the second stage ignited. First stage control was by eight movable tail fins, while the second stage was equipped with a gimballed nozzle.
Guidance was entirely by inertial platform. The current position was constantly updated from the host aircraft through accurate fixes, meaning that the accuracy of the platform inside the missile was not as critical.
B-52s were to carry four missiles, two under each wing on side-by-side pylons. The Vulcan carried two missiles, one each on smaller underwing pylons.
Survivors:
RAF Museum Cosford, Shropshire
National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio
Air Force Space & Missile Museum, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.
Il Tupolev PAK DA o PAK DA (in russo: ПАК ДА, abbreviazione di: Перспективный авиационный комплекс дальней авиации, romanized: Perspektivnyi aviatsionney '' ] nome in codice Poslannik (in russo: Посланник, lit. 'Courier'), è un bombardiere strategico stealth di prossima generazione sviluppato dalla Tupolev per l'aeronautica russa. Il DA PAK è destinato a integrare e alla fine sostituire il vecchio Tupolev Tu-95 nel servizio aeronautico russo.
PAK DA:
Ruolo - Bombardiere strategico stealth
origine nazionale - Russia
fabbricante - Tupolev, United Aircraft Corporation
introduzione in servizio - 2027
Stato - In via di sviluppo
Utente principale - Aeronautica russa
Costo unitario - US $ 160 milioni (previsti).
Secondo un rapporto dell’agenzia Izvestia del 2020, tre prototipi PAK DA dovrebbero essere pronti per i test preliminari entro il mese di aprile 2023, con i test di sviluppo che inizieranno nel febbraio 2026. L'aereo dovrebbe entrare in produzione in serie nel 2027. A causa del ammodernamento in corso dell'attuale flotta di bombardieri russi e dei massicci acquisti di Tu-160M2 aggiornati e potenziati, si ritiene che il ministero della Difesa russo inizialmente acquisirà solo un piccolo numero di bombardieri PAK DA di pre-serie.
I parametri tecnici del PAK DA includono:
una velocità subsonica;
Autonomia operativa di 12.000 km;
la capacità di rimanere continuamente in aria per un massimo di 30 ore con carichi utili sia convenzionali che nucleari fino a 30 tonnellate;
L'aeromobile dovrebbe avere un equipaggio di 4.
SVILUPPO
Le prime indiscrezioni sul bombardiere strategico a lungo raggio della prossima generazione della Russia risalgono alla fine degli anni '90, quando furono resi pubblici i requisiti per l’aeromobile stealth.
Nel dicembre 2007, l'aeronautica russa consegnò al Tupolev Design Bureau la prima serie di requisiti tecnici e tattici per un nuovo bombardiere strategico e il finanziamento del programma iniziò nel 2008.
Secondo alcuni primi rapporti, il PAK-DA doveva essere inizialmente basato su di una evoluzione del supersonico Tupolev Tu-160, ma in seguito rapporti sull'aeromobile, incluso un indirizzo televisivo dell'allora Primo Ministro Vladimir Putin, chiarirono che si tratterà di un progetto completamente nuovo.
Il 3 settembre 2009, il ministero della Difesa russo ha assegnato alla Tupolev Design Bureau un contratto triennale di ricerca e sviluppo per intraprendere studi per il nuovo bombardiere a lungo raggio. Secondo il Presidente Generale Designer di Tupolev Igor Shevchuk, "questo dovrebbe essere un aereo fondamentalmente nuovo, basato su soluzioni concettualmente nuove".
Nel giugno 2012, l'allora vice primo ministro Dmitry Rogozin ha messo in dubbio la necessità di un nuovo bombardiere a lungo raggio, sottolineando l'alto progresso nella tecnologia di difesa aerea e antimissile dicendo "questi aerei non arriveranno da nessuna parte: “Non i nostri, non i loro". Il capo dello stato maggiore Nikolai Makarov, rispose affermando che il lavoro era già in corso e che il design era superiore agli aerei statunitensi. Il 9 giugno 2012, il primo ministro Dmitry Medvedev ha dichiarato che il DA PAK è stato confermato come previsto. Il presidente russo Vladimir Putin nella sua dichiarazione del 14 giugno 2012 ha inoltre sollecitato la necessità di un nuovo bombardiere a lungo raggio.
Il 27 agosto 2012, Dmitry Rogozin richiese un bombardiere capace di velocità ipersonica per superare meglio le difese aeree degli Stati Uniti. Tuttavia, non è chiaro se i suoi commenti si riferiscano al bombardiere che è ipersonico o alla sua capacità di trasportare missili lanciati ad aria ipersonici. La dichiarazione di Rogozin è arrivata pochi giorni dopo un test del veicolo dimostrativo ipersonico USA Boeing X-51 Waverider.
Nel marzo 2013, è stato riferito che il design PAK DA selezionato sarebbe un'ala volante subsonica con enfasi sulla tecnologia invisibile piuttosto che con la capacità di superare le velocità supersoniche.
Anatoly Zhikharev ha fatto notare che un bombardiere strategico senza pilota potrebbe seguire il DA PAK dopo il 2040.
Il 30 agosto 2013, una fonte del ministero della Difesa russo ha rivelato che il DA PAK sarà equipaggiato con tipi avanzati di armi a guida di precisione, comprese le armi ipersoniche. Lo stesso bombardiere volerà a velocità subsonica. La tecnologia ipersonica viene perseguita in modo che la Russia non rimanga indietro rispetto allo sviluppo americano di armi simili.
Nel novembre 2013, fu presa la decisione di accelerare i lavori sul PAK DA e iniziare i lavori di R&S su vasta scala nel 2014. Nel dicembre 2013, Anatoly Zhikharev ha riferito che la fase di pianificazione è stata completata in meno di un anno e il lavoro di sviluppo è stato per iniziare nel 2014. Ha inoltre notato che il primo volo sarebbe iniziato nel 2019 con la produzione in serie che avrebbe avuto inizio nel 2025.
Nel febbraio 2014, l'allora viceministro dell'industria e del commercio Andrey Boginsky dichiarò che la Russia stava tentando di acquisire investimenti cinesi nel progetto.
Nell'aprile 2014, il capo della United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) russa Mikhail Pogosyan ha annunciato che il Tupolev Design Bureau aveva finalizzato il design del PAK DA e che il progetto stava passando alla fase intermedia, ovvero il completamento della progettazione e costruzione di un prototipo.
Nel marzo 2015 l'impianto di Kazan Aircraft Production Association (KAPO) a Kazan è stato scelto per la costruzione dei prototipi PAK DA e dei velivoli di serie. Il ministero della Difesa russo ha stanziato circa 5 miliardi di RUB per la ricostruzione e la riqualificazione tecnica della base di produzione, per preparare l'impianto per la costruzione del nuovo bombardiere.
Lo sviluppo del DA PAK sarà condotto contemporaneamente alla produzione in serie del Tu-160M2 aggiornato, sebbene ciò abbia in seguito portato a diversi rinvii nel programma.
Nel luglio 2015, rappresentanti della United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation (UIMC), ora parte della Roselectronics, hanno annunciato che la società sta sviluppando un "sistema di comunicazione unico nel suo genere" per il bombardiere.
Il 1° marzo 2017, è stato costruito il primo modello a grandezza naturale del bombardiere, tra vari modelli in scala di diverse configurazioni.
Nel luglio 2018, United Engine Corporation (UEC) e Tupolev hanno firmato un contratto per la creazione del propulsore a ciclo variabile del futuro PAK DA. Secondo i primi rapporti, sarà derivato dal motore Kuznetsov NK-32 Tier 2 aggiornato, destinato ai Tu-160M2 modernizzati. Circa 8 miliardi di rubli sarebbero stati destinati allo sviluppo del nuovo motore che sarà prodotto da JSC Kuznetsov a Samara. Il motore deve fornire al PAK DA la capacità di eseguire voli ininterrottamente di 30 ore, pur essendo resistente a temperature da meno 60° C a più 50° C e persino agli effetti dell'esplosione nucleare. La sua durata prevista è compresa tra 12 e 21 anni. I primi test del motore DA PAK avranno luogo nel 2020 e saranno completati entro la fine del 2021.
Nel febbraio 2019, il disegno finale del PAK DA è stata approvato e tutti i documenti per la costruzione del bombardiere sono stati firmati. La costruzione del primo prototipo dell’aereo è iniziata alla fine del 2019.
Il Ministero della Difesa russo ha ufficialmente firmato il contratto con la Tupolev per l’avvio della produzione dei primi prototipi del nuovo bombardiere stealth a lungo raggio PAK-DA che sostituirà prima i BEAR, nelle varie versioni, e poi i Tu-22 BACKFIRE e i Tu-160 BLACKJACK, verosimilmente dopo il 2040.
In base alle fonti ufficiali della Difesa russa, le caratteristiche dell’aereo sono state definite e la fase di design preliminare è già in corso dallo scorso novembre. Per quanto riguarda le caratteristiche, il PAK-DA affiancherà i Tu-160 supersonici che, con l’aggiornamento in corso alla variante M2 dovrebbero essere mantenuti in servizio almeno fino agli anni 40, con un’autonomia di 12.000 km (30 ore di navigazione) senza rifornimento in volo e in grado di trasportare armamento di tipo convenzionale e nucleare. L’equipaggio dovrebbe essere composto da 4 uomini.
I primi test di volo dovrebbero partire nel 2027, con consegne ai rispettivi reparti dopo un paio d’anni. Detto questo, appare difficile credere che con un budget annuale per la difesa pari a 71 miliardi di dollari, e programmi per nuovo caccia (Su-57), nuovo UCAV/loyal wingman (S-70), una presunta nuova portaerei STOBAR da 40/50.000 t ed un bombardiere strategico di 6ª generazione che dovrebbe affiancare il PAK-DA nel 2045/2050, tale progetto possa concretamente vedere la luce nei tempi descritti.
ENGLISH
The Tupolev PAK DA or PAK DA (Russian: ПАК ДА, short for: Перспективный авиационный комплекс дальней авиации, romanized: Perspektivnyi aviatsionnyi kompleks dal'ney aviatsii, lit. ''Prospective aviation complex for long-range aviation''), codename Poslannik (Russian: Посланник, lit. 'Courier'), is a next-generation stealth strategic bomber being developed by Tupolev for the Russian Air Force. The PAK DA is set to complement and eventually replace the older Tupolev Tu-95 in Russia's Air Force service.
According to the 2020 Izvestia report, three PAK DA prototypes are expected to be ready for preliminary testing by April 2023, with the state tests to begin in February 2026. The aircraft is expected to enter serial production in 2027. Due to the ongoing modernization of Russia's current bomber fleet and massive purchases of upgraded Tu-160M2s, it is believed that the Russian Defence Ministry will initially procure only a small number of PAK DA bombers.
Technical parameters of the PAK DA include subsonic speed, 12,000 km operational range and a capability to continuously remain in the air for up to 30 hours while carrying both conventional and nuclear payloads up to 30 tons. The aircraft is expected to have a crew of 4.
Development
First mentions about Russia's next-generation long-range strategic bomber dates back to late 1990s, when formation of requirements for the aircraft had begun. In December 2007, the Russian Air Force handed to Tupolev Design Bureau the first set of technical and tactical requirments for a new strategic bomber and financing of the programme began in 2008. According to some early reports, the PAK DA was to be heavily based on the supersonic Tupolev Tu-160, but later reports regarding to the aircraft, including a televised address from then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, seemed to imply that it will be an entirely new design.
On 3 September 2009, the Russian Defence Ministry awarded Tupolev Design Bureau a three year R&D contract to undertake studies for new long-range bomber. According to the President-General Designer of Tupolev Igor Shevchuk, "this should be a fundamentally new aircraft, based on conceptually new solutions".
In June 2012, then-Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin questioned the need for a new long-range bomber, pointing on the high advancement in air defence and anti-missile defence technology saying "these aircraft will not get anywhere. Not ours, not theirs." The Chief of the General Staff Nikolai Makarov, responded by stating that work is ongoing and that the design was superior to American aircraft. On 9 June 2012, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev stated that the PAK DA was confirmed as planned. Russian President Vladimir Putin in his statement on 14 June 2012 also urged the need for a new long-range bomber.
On 27 August 2012, Dmitry Rogozin had called for a bomber capable of hypersonic speed in order to better match the air defenses of the United States. However, it is unclear whether his comments refer to the bomber being hypersonic or to its ability to carry hypersonic air-launched missiles. Rogozin's statement came just days after a test of U.S. Boeing X-51 Waverider hypersonic demonstrator vehicle.
In March 2013, it was reported that the selected PAK DA design would be a subsonic flying wing with emphasis on stealth technology rather than with capability to overcome supersonic speeds.
Anatoly Zhikharev has noted that an unmanned strategic bomber may follow the PAK DA after 2040.
On 30 August 2013, a Russian Defense Ministry source revealed that the PAK DA will be equipped with advanced types of precision-guided weapons, including hypersonic weapons. The bomber itself will fly at subsonic speeds. Hypersonic technology is being pursued so that Russia does not fall behind American development of similar weapons.
In November 2013, a decision was taken to speed up work on the PAK DA and begin full-scale R&D work in 2014. In December 2013, Anatoly Zhikharev reported the planning stage was completed in less than one year and development work was to begin in 2014. He further noted the first flight would commence in 2019 with serial production to begin in 2025.
In February 2014, then-Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Andrey Boginsky stated, that Russia was attempting to acquire Chinese investment in the project.
In April 2014, head of Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Mikhail Pogosyan announced that the Tupolev Design Bureau had finalised the design of the PAK DA and that the project was moving to the intermediate phase - i.e. completion of the design and construction of a prototype.
In March 2015 it became known that the Kazan Aircraft Production Association (KAPO) plant in Kazan was chosen for construction of the PAK DA prototypes and serial aircraft. The Russian Defence Ministry allocated about RUB5 billion for reconstruction and technical re-equipment of the production base, to prepare the plant for construction of the new bomber.
Development of the PAK DA will be carried out simultaneously with serial production of the upgraded Tu-160M2, although this later led to several postponements in the programme.
In July 2015, representatives from the United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation (UIMC), now part of Roselectronics, announced the company is developing "one-of-a-kind communications system" for the bomber.
On 1 March 2017, it was reported that the first full-size model of the bomber was built, amongst various scale mock-ups of different configurations.
In July 2018, United Engine Corporation (UEC) and Tupolev signed a contract for creation of PAK DA's powerplant. According to early reports, it will be derived from the upgraded Kuznetsov NK-32 Tier 2 engine, intended for modernized Tu-160M2s. About RUB8 billion was to be allocated for the development of the new engine that will be produced by JSC Kuznetsov in Samara. The engine is to provide the PAK DA with a capability to perform 30 hours nonstop flight, while being resistant to temperatures from minus 60°C to plus 50°C and even effects of nuclear explosion. Its service life is expected to be from 12 to 21 years. The first tests of the PAK DA engine will take place in 2020 and be completed by the end of 2021.
In February 2019, PAK DA's final draft was approved and all documents for construction of the bomber were signed. Construction of the first prototype aircraft began in late 2019.
Russia to Build 3 PAK DA Stealth Bomber Prototypes
Serial production of the new bomber is expected to kick off in 2027.
Russia will build three prototypes of its next-generation nuclear-capable strategic bomber, dubbed PAK DA (an acronym for “Prospective Aviation Complex for Long-Range Aviation”), for evaluation and testing, according to Russian media reports.
Citing a research and development contract between the Russian government and the Tupolev design bureau signed at the end of 2017, Izvestia newspaper offered a number of new details surrounding the Russian Air Force’s next-generation strategic bomber.
Contrary to earlier speculations, the bomber will reportedly be manned by a crew of four. Preliminary tests of the three prototypes have been scheduled for April and are expected to be concluded by the fall of 2025. This will also include the bomber’s maiden flight.
State trials are set to begin in February 2026, which are expected to last for around two years. Serial production might kick off as early as 2027 or 2028. As I noted elsewhere, other technical details regarding the PAK DA bomber are scarce:
It is estimated that the new aircraft will have an operational range of about 12,000 kilometers and travel at subsonic speed. The plane’s airframe will consist of radar-absorbent material. (For a first look of the new bomber, check out this video here.)
Furthermore, it was reported that the new fifth generation PAK DA bomber will be able to carry a 30-ton weapons payload (…).
The new strategic bomber will reportedly carry nuclear-capable air-launched cruise missiles. In addition, the aircraft will reportedly be equipped with air-to-air missiles for self defense and air-launched hypersonic weapons.
Meanwhile, the Russian military aircraft industry is upgrading three bomber types, as I noted last May:
The Russian Air Force is expected to receive the first upgraded Tu-160M2 supersonic strategic bomber by 2021. The Russian MoD announced in January 2018 that it placed an order for the first batch of 10 Tupolev Tu-160M2s.
Delivery of Russia’s entire new Tu-160M2 fleet of around 50 aircraft is estimated to be completed by 2030.
Additionally, Russia is also upgrading its fleet of Tu-22M3 long-range strategic and maritime strike bombers. The first new Tu-22M3M conducted its maiden flight in December 2018. Overall, Russia plans to upgrade 20 aircraft of the type.
Furthermore, the Russian defense industry is (..) working on upgrading Tu-95MS, designated Tu-95MSM. Last August, the Russian MoD and Tupolev signed a contract to upgrade 20 Tu-95MS to MSM standards.
ADVERTISEMENT
Plans to replace all existing strategic bomber types in the Russian Air Force’s arsenal with the new PAK DA were scrapped for the time being due to funding difficulties and technical issues. The PAK DA is also not expected to be manufactured in large quantities initially.
The Russian MoD has signed a contract with the developer of PAK-DA long-range stealth bomber to commence production for a possible delivery by 2027 according to state media.
“The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has signed all the necessary contracts to start production of the PAK-DA long-range bomber. Flight tests of the aircraft is scheduled for 2027,” deputy head of the department Alexey Krivoruchk was quoted as saying by Zvezda, run by the Russian MoD reported on Monday.
“The characteristics of the aircraft have been agreed upon, all contract documents necessary for the production of samples have been signed, preparatory design stages are underway,” Krivoruchko said.
The aircraft is expected to be of subsonic speed, have a 12,000 km operational range and a capability to continuously remain in the air for up to 30 hours while carrying both conventional and nuclear payloads up to 30 tons. The aircraft is expected to have a crew of 4.
The PAK-DA is expected to replace all current strategic bombers in the Russian Air Force by the next decade.
Russia's new stealth bomber PAK-DA: The challenge to US air supremacy
The Tupolev PAK DA or PAK DA, or ‘Tu-160/Tu-95’, an acronym for “Prospective Aviation Complex for Long-Range Aviation”, is going to be the next generation stealth strategic bomber of the Russian Air Force, replacing all its predecessors. The first jet of this fleet is scheduled to join the Russian Air Force by 2025–26 and will continue to replenish the dwindling air-fleet status of the Russian Aerial defense system till 2028-29.
The concept of developing a new long range strategic bomber dates long back in Russian history. However the concept materialized during 2007-08 under the then Prime Minister Vladimir Putin who aspired to build such a bomber with advanced technologies and design, superior than the United States. Thus, the R&D and contract were awarded to Tupolev and the development commenced. In 2009, Tupolev President-General Designer Igor Shevchuk stated about the PAK-DA that “this should be a fundamentally new aircraft, based on conceptually new solutions.”
In 2013, it was reported that Moscow was able to develop a subsonic flying wing for the PAK-DA prototype and emphasized on stealth technologies. Later, Russia claimed that the PAK-DA will be equipped with advanced precision guided missiles that include hypersonic weapons. In 2014, the design was finalized and Tupolev was given a green signal to start building the prototype. In 2017, it was reported that the first full size model of the PAK-DA bomber was built after the long permutation and combination of a series of trials. In February 2019, the final draft design of the PAK DA, which is supposed to join the Russian Air Force, was approved and all documents for construction of the bomber were signed and it was mentioned that the first series of this fleet will be rolled out by 2022.
As classified files, much about the technical specifications of the PAK DA has not been disclosed in public, however, its confirmed that it will be equipped with the upgraded Kuznetsov NK-32 Tier 2 turbofan engine which will allow the aircrafts to fly 30hours at a stretch and will be capable of withstanding temperatures from -60°C to +50°C and prevent effects of nuclear explosion. It is expected that use of composite equipments and sophisticated technologies, superior aerodynamics, and abridged engine heat signature curtails the PAK-DA’s radio-frequency, optical and infrared visibility.
The PAK DA would probably be built with radar-absorbing material and will be equipped with a “stealthogenic” system. This stealthogenic technology is a form of anti-radar cloaking device. The PAK DA is also expected to have an AESA radar system with 1,500 individual transmitter/receiver (T/R) modules and will be equipped with “one-of-a-kind communications system,” that has been specially designed for the bomber itself. According to Russian sources, the PAK DA will have a maximum range of 5,500 km, a payload of up to 30 tons, subsonic flight speed and will also be able to bear various kinds of weapons, enabling it to concurrently attack several surface and air targets in all weather conditions- making it a perfect multirole combat bomber.
It was intended to be a supersonic bomber, but Moscow restricted the PAK-DA to be subsonic. But why? It’s now lucid with the words of the VKS commander Viktor Bondarev’s clarification that “It is impossible to build a missile-carrying bomber invisible to radars and supersonic at the same time. This is why focus is placed on stealth capabilities. The PAK-DA will carry AI-guided missiles with a range of up to 7,000 km. Such a missile can analyze the aerial and radio-radar situation and determine its direction, altitude and speed. We’re already working on such missiles.”
The aspiration that drove Russia to develop such a costly but effective bomber is to gain aerial superiority against the United States and to some extent with its new competitor China. Moscow is well aware of the current situation where Trump quitted from the long standing anti nuclear proliferation treaty and the circumstances are moving towards the ‘Cold War’ situation between the two superpowers. An advantage in the air in this situation is always beneficial at least to produce fear amidst its adversaries.
Russia’s development of the PAK DA- the fifth-generation stealth fighter could defy American air preeminence, particularly if Russia vends them to its common purchasers of military gears, especially countries that are anti American by blood. Hence, American air supremacy for the foreseeable future is not as guaranteed as the U.S. Department of Defense once envisaged. Indeed, the US deputy Chief of Staff for intelligence recently made the startling statement: “For the first time, our claim to air supremacy is in jeopardy.… The dominance we’ve enjoyed in the aerial domain is no longer ours for the taking.”
Closure of the F-22 production in the US infact has severely restricted America’s capacity to react to PAK DA proliferation by construction more F-22s and potentially selling them to U.S. allies. Basically, development of PAK-DA compelled the US to think out of the box , now the US policymakers are thinking of enhancing the investments in Air supremacy by modernization and organizing new partnerships with its allies like Japan and Israel, that might eventually prevent the airpower balance from leaning in goodwill of the Russian air force and to prevaricate alongside the potentially destabilizing propagation of Russian PAK DA bomber to wobbly actors, non-state groups, and/or other rogue nations.
Russia and China currently are showing cooperation in different sectors; but, in fact, the Sino-Russian cooperation belies the contention that defines the relationship between Moscow and Beijing. In 1969, the Soviet Union and China almost went to war with one another following lethal military conflict in the region. The frozen tundra along Russia’s far-eastern edge with China is recently becoming a hot zone as both states are suspected to deploy nuclear-capable missiles.
The natural resource rich southern/south-eastern border area of Russia is gradually being perched by Chinese intruders while Russian’s there are becoming minority ethnics. In defense sector also, there lies tremendous competition between the two nations. China is rapidly developing its air force, equipping them with the latest technologies. Though, there is still a huge gap between Moscow and Beijing in air supremacy, nonetheless, development of the PAK-DA will definitely challenge China’s growing eagerness to be a dominant air power in Asia.
So, the development of the PAK-DA portrays serious implications in regional security, especially in defense sector in comparison to both US and China. Once, being the dominant air force of the world, introduction of the PAK-DA in Russian Air Force will seriously challenge the supremacy of the United States. While Washington decided to step down in developing F-35 bombers, PAK-DA’s success for Russia will definitely compel the American leaders to rethink of developing PAK-DA’s comparable counterparts. China, though rapidly progressing to advance its air force will also think twice before taking any unilateral step to showcase its supremacy in Asia.
