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The first mention of Russia's next-generation long-range strategic bomber dates back to the late 1990s when the formation of requirements for the aircraft had begun. In December 2007, the Russian Air Force handed to Tupolev Design Bureau the first set of technical and tactical requirements for a new strategic bomber and financing of the programme began in 2008. According to some early reports, the PAK DA was to be heavily based on the supersonic Tupolev Tu-160, but later reports regarding to the aircraft, including a televised address from then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, seemed to imply that it will be an entirely new design.
On 3 September 2009, the Russian Defence Ministry awarded Tupolev Design Bureau a three-year R&D contract to undertake studies for the new long-range bomber. According to the President-General Designer of Tupolev, Igor Shevchuk, "this should be a fundamentally new aircraft, based on conceptually new solutions".
In June 2012, then-Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin questioned the need for a new long-range bomber, pointing out the progress in aerial and anti-missile defence technology, saying "these aircraft will not get anywhere. Not ours, not theirs." The Chief of the General Staff Nikolai Makarov, responded by stating that work is ongoing and that the design was superior to American aircraft. On 9 June 2012, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev stated that the PAK DA was confirmed as planned. Russian President Vladimir Putin in his statement on 14 June 2012 also urged the need for a new long-range bomber.
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One challenge faced by stealth aircraft is the storage of weapons. Conventional combat aircraft store weapons on pylons or “racks” attached to the wings and fuselage, but this method increases drag and makes the aircraft more visible. Consequently, stealth aircraft are configured to store their armament internally, which theoretically could limit payload capacity. Nevertheless, the PAK DA reportedly circumvents this difficulty with a rumored payload capacity of 30T, exceeding the B-2’s 20T limit.
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Between 1970 and December 2016 there were 110 serious incidents involving the Tu-154, including 73 hull losses,
with 2,911 fatalities.
In October 2020 ALROSA, the last Russian passenger airline to operate this aircraft, retired its last remaining Tu-154
In January 2010 Russian flag carrier Aeroflot announced the retirement of its Tu-154 fleet after 40 years, with the last scheduled flight being Aeroflot Flight 736 from Yekaterinburg to Moscow on 31 December 2009.