Yeah, of all those, the PAK-DA seems the most like a prestige project. They have plenty of functional bombers. But their air force requires some kind of next-generation platform to focus on. If they have enough guided weapons, then PAK-DA makes sense. Hard to assess in the context of the current conflict, where strategic bombers are mostly in the background.
But Russia has expended more PGMs than expected in the present conflict, stocks were greater than some estimates. So PAK-DA could be a reasonable platform starting in the 2025-2030 period.
I am not sure what Lider adds to current doctrine, but they have sent several flotillas around the world right now, haven't they? A DDGN is useful in that context. If shipping lanes become more contested as a result of trade wars, long-range high-endurance surface combatants could be very useful. In the emerging economic war, maybe Lider makes more sense than it used to. May have been the idea all along.
I agree that economics is behind all of this. There has been funding shortfalls across the board. In my view, Russia in general has been hurt by economic policies that mitigated against import substitution. This situation has been changing since 2008/2014, and the changes are accelerating. As Russian strives for economic sovereignty, it may be able to reverse these funding shortfalls, which have indeed affected the present campaign. The economics have really been a driving force underlying it all, and the changes will mount.
Russia's willingness to buy LHD from France really bit them. China would have been a better bet, and still could be, as you say. The satellite constellation cooperation will probably happen. I think you're right as to what they could work together on. They could do it better than Europe.
