Putin decided for a stealth bomber development

[Crvena zvezda]

Putin decided for a stealth bomber development

Moscow, Russia - Latest technologies employed for its realization
(WAPA) - According to several sources near Russian Kremlin, president Vladimir Putin given some time ago green light to the development of a new stealth bomber aircraft to replace and modernize the Russian air force attack aircraft fleet.

Described to be smaller than the U.S. Air Force Northrop B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, this new Russian bomber, named T-60S, is currently being developed by Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi, maker of the famed SU-27 "Flanker" fighter-bomber.

This new aircradt will use a variable "Swing" geometry wing not previously used on U.S. stealth aircraft, which allow T-60S to have better performances in respect to similar U.S. aircraft.

It seems that Russian researches on stealth aicraft have been simplified by the recovery and sale of a shot-down U.S. Air Force F-117A stealth fighter during the 1999 war against Serbia.

Serbs reportedly sold the remains of the American stealth aircraft directly to the Russians.
Therefore, the impression of a decading air force, as appears to be the Russian air force after the fall of the Soviet Union, reduced to approximately one half its original size, is no longer suitable to the current situation. The widespread impression of an under-funded and poorly manned air force in today's Russia has been disputed by the heavy investments made by Russian government in the last years.
It is estimated that over a billion dollars has been diverted by the Russian government into new weapons programs.

However, yet in 1995, the commander of the Russian air force, General Peter Deinekin, stated that a new multi-role strategic bomber would replace the aging Tupolev TU-22 "Blinder" medium-range bomber and the Sukhoi SU-24 "Fencer" bomber-fighter.
(Avionews)