NIZHNY NOVGOROD (Sputnik) — In August, the Russian Aerospace Forces said the bomber may make its maiden flight as early as late 2018.
"For now, the baseline number remains the same, but it can be adjusted as we are continuing work on the advanced long-range aviation complex (PAK DA). The current baseline figure for the Tu-160M2 is 50 aircraft," Borisov said after holding talks with enterprises working on the project.
Current work involves improving the plane's technical specifications, especially its weight parameters, he added, noting that its serial production may start around 2020-2021.
Last year, Russia announced the comeback of the Soviet-era Tupolev Tu-160 (NATO reporting name Blackjack) in its upgraded Tu-160M2 variant, pushing back the final phase of developing the next-generation PAK DA bomber until later.
