Aviation
Military /
Russia
Modernizations
Russian bomber, modernized Tu-160, to be tested later this year
Tu-160
Sergey Krivchikov - Russian AviaPhoto Team, GFDL 1.2, via Wikimedia Commons
Tupolev Tu-160M
Dmitry Terekhov, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Rafael Ramos
12/2/2021
In a military modernization effort, the Tu-160 strategic bomber received a series of upgrades, including improved avionics and NK-32-02 engines. The new plane will be called the Tu-160M """White Swan". The NK-32 engine originally fitted to the Tu-160 is known in aviation as being the most powerful ever fitted to a fighter plane, delivering 55,000 pounds of thrust.
The Tu-160, known as Blackjack by NATO, is a variable-wing bomber capable of carrying supersonic missiles. It was developed by the Soviet Union and later adopted by Russia. This aircraft, together with the Tu-95MS bombers form the backbone of the long-range aviation of the Russian Air Force. It is considered the largest supersonic bomber in the world.
Russia decided to upgrade the bomber as early as 2015, with the first flight taking place five years later. On that occasion, several new systems were tested, as well as new engines. However, it was still a test version. The current version is more up-to-date and with design improvements. The modernized plane was designed to use nuclear and conventional bombs to hit enemies in remote locations.
The new Tu-160M ""is an updated version of the Tu-160, which was developed in the 1970s and is still the largest and heaviest Mach 2 supersonic combat aircraft ever built.
The plane's fuselage is all glossy white, giving it its nickname "White Swan". During a nuclear explosion, the white paint could reflect some of the thermal energy. Fortunately, this has not been tested in practice.
The Tupolev Tu-160M ""will be of utmost importance in the face of security threat. As NATO forces continue to expand in the Eastern European region with alleged diversion of American bombers, a supersonic bomber of its own will allow Russia to create strategic deterrence with its enemy in the region.
In July of this year, United Aircraft Corporation(UAC) CEO Yuri Slyusar announced that Tupolev Aircraft Company was working on manufacturing a new Tu-160M ""bomber from scratch. He also claimed that the Tupolev Aircraft Company was nearing completion of work on a second plane, which would be rebuilt from an obsolete Tu-160 bomber.
The bomber is expected to undergo ground tests this month, such as high-speed taxi and runway tests, according to the state agency TASS. However, there is no flight scheduled yet. When testing is complete, the plane is expected to carry the title of heaviest military aircraft in the world.
Tupolev Tu-160M
Dmitry Terekhov, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Tupolev Tu-160M
Dmitry Terekhov, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Rafael Ramos
Aviation enthusiast from an early age, he had his first contacts with the area developing that good old habit of spending dozens of hours in front of the screens of Micrsoft Flight Simulator and other simulators. With a solid background in various technological areas, including engineering and chemistry, Rafael has rejoined aviation as editor and author of articles and materials on our portal, providing invaluable help to the dynamics and expansion of the website and the aeronautical community, bringing us the news and updates so indispensable for us to remain current in our area of operation.
   
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