The Russian Air Force is about to receive its first brand new bomber in 30 years, the Tu-160M, nicknamed “White Swan”.
“The Tu-160M bomber is a deeply upgraded version, adding many features compared to the original. We are upgrading the existing Tu-160 fleet and setting up a new production line in Kazan.”, President of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Yury Slyusar said on December 23.
“We will deliver the first brand new Tu-160M to the Russian Air Force this year,” added Yury Slyusar.
This Tu-160M made its first test flight in January 2022, at that time they were still wearing the yellow-green color of the base paint, not yet painted white due to testing.
The flight lasted 30 minutes at an altitude of 600 m, during which the crew performed maneuvers to assess the aircraft’s stability and controllability in the air.
Russia has not built a brand new bomber since 1993, of which the Tu-160 production line was closed in 1995.
The country produced a few Tu-160s between 2002 and 2017, but they were all based on pre-fabricated fuselages.
The Russian Ministry of Defense decided to restart the new production line of the Tu-160 series in 2015, in the context of the delayed PAK DA stealth bomber project and lack of budget.
The country produced a number of Tu-160M aircraft between 2002 and 2017, but all were based on unfinished fuselages.
The Russian Ministry of Defense decided to restart the new production line of the Tu-160 series in 2015, in the context of the delayed PAK DA stealth bomber project and lack of budget.
The contract to buy 10 modernized Tu-160M bombers was signed by the Russian military with the manufacturer in 2018 under the witness of President Vladimir Putin.
It is known that each Tu-160M has a unit price of about 270 million USD.
The Russian Air Force claims to need at least 50 newly built Tu-160Ms, but no more contracts have been signed in the past three years.
This force is operating 17 original Tu-160 and modernized Tu-160M aircraft.
The Tu-160M is a supersonic bomber with the largest wingspan and void mass ever built.
As of 2022, this is still the largest and heaviest fighter aircraft in the world, as well as the fastest bomber.
It was nicknamed the “White Swan” for its radiation-reflective coating and maneuverability rare for a bomber.
The aircraft has two compartments in the fuselage, carrying up to 40 tons of bombs and long-range cruise missiles with a maximum range of up to 2,500 km.
Moscow restarted the production of the Tu-160 and the modernized version of the Tu-160M2 before finalizing the PAK-DA stealth bomber family.
The modernized version of the Tu-160M is equipped with an integrated self-defense system, new communication equipment, and engines, and many advanced weapons to enhance the ability to attack long-range with high precision.
The Russian military asserts that the power of the Tu-160M is much higher than the original Tu-160 variant, and the range is also increased by 1,000 km.
The Tu-160M’s mission is to deploy nuclear and conventional weapons from a great distance.
In addition to new electronics and weapons, the Kuznetsov NK-32 engine on the Tu-160 series will be replaced by the NK-32-02 version on the Tu-160M version, helping to save fuel and increase efficiency. motion.
The aircraft can operate in all weather conditions, day and night and in any area of the world. Tu-160M has a maximum speed of 2,220 km/h, a range of 12,300 km without refueling, and a combat radius of 7,300 km.
Tu-160M is equipped with an electronic warfare complex of the Su-57 stealth fighter, and an electronic system that applies many new technologies such as modular computers and does not use foreign components.
This new version will use an inertial navigation system with a laser gyroscope and a quartz accelerometer.
This kit can work effectively even in conditions of strong enemy interference, helping pilots determine coordinates, flight direction, and speed.
The main armament of the Tu-160 is two rotary launchers that can hold up to 12 Kh-101 cruise missiles with a range of 1,500-2,500 km or a Kh-15 nuclear missile with a range of 300 km.
Tu-160M has really become a multi-role bomber that makes opponents very worried because they can both be an interceptor and a long-range strategic bomber. It is even possible to use the Tu-160M as a tactical bomber or as a launch pad to launch spacecraft.
