Large-scale development and engineering work on the prospective aviation complex for long-range aviation (PAK DA) will begin in 2014, Mikhail Pogosyan, the head of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) told Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"A decision has been made to intensify work on the prospective aviation complex for long-range aviation," he said at a meeting on the development of the Russian Air Force.
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"In September, we completed the consultations with the Defense Ministry and we are now working on projects to deploy large-scale work on the development and engineering of these planes beginning in 2014," Pogosyan said.
The prospective aviation complex for long-range aviation (PAK DA) is a Russian new-generation strategic bomber developed by the company Tupolev. In August 2009, the Russian Defense Ministry and the company Tupolev signed a contract for conducting research and development work on the PAK DA for a period of three years. The plane project was approved in March 2013.
The PAK DA is expected to replace the long-range aviation planes Tu-95 and Tu-160 that are currently used in Russian aviation.
Russian Air Force Commander-in-Chief Viktor Bondarev earlier told reporters the PAK DA will be subsonic and will carry more weapons and the Tu-160.