The maiden flight of the PAK DA next-generation bomber intended for Russian air forces is scheduled for 2019-2020; the deliveries of PAK DA bombers to the military units will be started in 2023-2025, TASS reports.

Commander-in-Chief of the long-range aviation, Lieutenant General, Anatoly Zhikharev, said: “In future we will take delivery of the new aircraft – PAK DA. It is expected that the flight testing of the bomber will be started in 2019 – 2020 and the first PAK DA should be put into service in 2023-2025”.

It was reported earlier that the bomber’s maiden flight is scheduled for 2019. In summer Commander-in-Chief of the Russian air forces, Colonel General, Viktor Bondarev, said that the mass production of PAK DA will be started in 2021-2022.

According to Zhikharev, in parallel with development of the new bomber, the fleet of tanker aircraft will be upgraded as well as infrastructure used by the long-range aviation.