KRET Designs Electronic Warfare System for Russia’s New Strategic Bomber

Russian Defence Electronics manufacturer, KRET has begun designing a radically new electronic warfare (EW) system for the future strategic bomber, PAK DA which is intended to replace the Tu-95 and Tu-160 long range bombers.

The new aircraft is expected to make its public debut in 2018 and take to the skies in 2025-2026.

KRET’s new EW system has already passed to the technical design stage. Based on its results, the production of a prototype will start, after which it will be transferred to Tupolev company for integration on the PAK DA, a KRET release said.

Bomber-missile carrier PAK DA (Perspective Aviation Complex of Long-Range Aviation) is being developed by Tupolev to replace Tu-95 and Tu-160 aircraft. Work on the project began in 2009, and now the aircraft is ready for preliminary design, the release said.

The PAK-DA is scheduled for first flight in 2025-2026 and series production in 2028-2029 while a first static display is planned for next year.

In the development of the new bomber, the specialists of KRET are also actively involved. In 2015 the Concern gave the company Tupolev all the proposals for on-board radio electronic equipment PAK DA.

It is assumed that the aircraft will be equipped with a completely new sighting and navigation complex, communications, intelligence, electronic warfare.

Russian long range strategic bombers, Tu-95 and Tu-160 have proved highly successful in the campaign against terrorists in Syria. They have fired cruise missiles with precision at small static and mobile targets from hundreds of kilometers away.