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| Russian Tupolev Tu-160M Bomber Ready for Operation at the End of the Year |
Moscow - The first newly built Tupolev Tu-160M strategic missile carrier bomber will be delivered before the end of this year to the Russian military. This was stated by the Head of the United Aircraft Corporation, Yury Slyusar, Friday (23/12/2022).
The Tu-160M (code name Blackjack by NATO) is an upgraded version of the Soviet-designed Tu-160. This plane is nicknamed the White Swan. “This is a highly upgraded aircraft based on the Tu-160 with new capabilities and functions. We do it in two ways: we are increasing the existing Tu-160 aircraft fleet and in parallel we have set up production in Kazan and delivered the first production line. standard Tu-160M this year which will be added to the long-range aircraft fleet," he said on Rossiya-1 television.
Slyusar told TASS in August that plans to deliver the first newly built Tu-160M to the Ministry of Defense remained. The aircraft took to the skies for the first time on January 12, 2021, taking off from the airfield of the Kazan aircraft manufacturing plant.
The flight is carried out at an altitude of 600 meters and lasts about 30 minutes. Along with the Tu-95MS, the Tu-160M is the backbone of Russia's long-range military aircraft fleet. This aircraft is often the foundation of the Russian military.
The TU-160 is the world's largest supersonic military aircraft and heaviest warplane, capable of carrying nuclear-tipped cruise missiles. It was the answer to the US Rockwell B-1 Lancer long-range bomber. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu in 2015 ordered that production of the Tu-160 be resumed and the aircraft be upgraded.