Is Russia developing a hypersonic space bomber?
Step aside, B-2 Bomber. The Russian Strategic Missile Forces Academy is that could launch by 2020, Lt. Col. Aleksei Solodovnikov told RIA Novosti, a major Russian news outlet, on Wednesday.
The plane is designed to bomb from orbit and be able to reach any target within two hours 鈥� if it exists at all. The Russian Defense Ministry flatly refuted reports of the plans on Thursday.
Yes, Russia has 鈥渃ontinuously鈥� developed new, advanced engines for space exploration, a ministry representative said, according to TASS Russian News Agency. "However, the creation of some 鈥榮pace bombers鈥� in the Serpukhov branch of the Academy of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces is out of the question."
The ministry representative added that "such design and development work is ...聽 of the Russian Defense Ministry鈥檚 educational establishments.鈥�
The official said the media had 鈥渙bviously misinterpreted鈥澛爐he personal theoretical insights of a military academy teacher.聽
The images released to the media are , according to Extreme Tech. Images show a plane that uses two different engines and two fuel tanks 鈥� one for kerosene-based jet fuel for the earth鈥檚 oxygen-rich atmosphere, and the other for oxygen and methane for outer space.
Why exit the Earth鈥檚 atmosphere? According to Extreme Tech, that will place the plane outside of the range of interceptor aircraft.
Although the government has denied his claims, Mr.聽Solodovnikov told RIA Novosti the academy is "cooperating with Russia鈥檚 Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute on the design of an airframe and the aircraft鈥檚 characteristics."
A space-based stealth bomber represents a step beyond the US Air Force鈥檚 B-21 stealth bomber, which is still in development, according to Extreme Tech. The Air Force of the Long Range Strike-Bomber earlier this year. A main feature of the aircraft will be its stealth.
Earlier this week, Russia鈥檚 Academician V. P. Makeyev State Rocket Center announced plans to develop Sarmat, a , the center鈥檚 head said, according to Russian newspaper, Izvestia.
Russian military expert Alexander Perendzhiyev was quoted by Russian news website riafan.ru as saying Russia鈥檚 new ballistic missile is designed to pierce through the US missile defense shield.
