Speaking at the Samara-based Kuznetsov Plant of the United Engine Corporation, a Russian defense company, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov told reporters that manufacturing of the PAK DA has been delayed so that Tupolev Tu-160M2 bomber’s production can be resumed.

The Kremlin planned on introducing its fifth-generation PAK DA bomber into service beginning in 2023. However, the PAK DA project has been pushed back again and Russia will instead concentrate on manufacturing of an updated version of the Soviet-era Tu-160 (Russian: Туполев Ту-160, NATO reporting name: Blackjack) supersonic nuclear bomber.

“According to the plans, serial production of the [Tu-160] aircraft new version [the Tu-160M2] is to be implemented starting from 2023,” Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov told at a press conference on 17th July. “The PAK DA project will be somewhat shifted beyond [2023], otherwise there is no sense in it.”

According to Russia Beyond the Headlines, the decision to begin constructing the updated Tu-160M2 at the expense of the fifth-generation PAK DA was made by Russian President Vladimir Putin in May.