Russia’s new bomber to be armed with hypersonic weapons: source

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia’s next generation long-range bomber PAK-DA will be armed with hypersonic weapons, a Defense Ministry source told RIA Novosti, the news agency reported.

“PAK-DA will be equipped with all advanced types of precision guided weapons, including hypersonic,” the source said, adding that the bomber itself will be subsonic.

Earlier this week, Boris Obnosov, general director of the Tactical Missile Systems Corporation, revealed that Russia has developed a hypersonic missile. However, he added that although it has been developed, it can only make seconds-long flights.

In September 2012, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, whose brief covers the defense industry, announced plans to merge the Tactical Missile Corporation and NPO Mashinostroyenie.

Lt. Gen. Anatoly Zhikharev, commander of the Russian Air Force Long-Range Aviation, previously said the first PAK-DA bombers will enter service by 2020.

In August 2012, Rogozin told the Rossiya 24 TV network “I think we need to go down the route of hypersonic technology and we are moving in that direction and not falling behind the Americans.”