The first flight of Tu 160. White Swan aircraft: specifications and photos

Who is destined to crawl, cannot fly (c). That is OK. However, the planes are amazing, especially combat ones. They combine charm and craving for weapons and endless misunderstanding of the soul, how such a mass can fly so gracefully! I propose to look at interesting photos and learn something new about the pride of Soviet / Russian aviation.

Tu-160 (NATO classification Blackjack) is a supersonic missile-carrying bomber with a variable sweep wing, created by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 1980s. It has been in service since 1987. The Russian Air Force currently has 16 Tu-160 strategic missile carriers. This aircraft is the largest supersonic aircraft and aircraft with variable geometry wing in the history of military aviation, as well as the heaviest among all combat aircraft in the world. Tu-160 has the largest maximum take-off weight among all existing bombers. Among Russian pilots, the aircraft has the nickname " White Swan».

Work on the creation of a new generation strategic bomber was started in the Design Bureau of A. N. Tupolev in 1968. In 1972, the project of a multi-mode bomber with a variable sweep wing was ready; Kuznetsov began work on the creation of engines for the new aircraft. Initially, it was going to be armed with Kh-45 high-speed missiles, but later this idea was abandoned, giving preference to small-sized Kh-55 subsonic cruise missiles, as well as Kh-15 aeroballistic hypersonic missiles, which were placed on multi-position launchers inside the hull.

First plane.

The impetus for the development of the project of a new strategic bomber was the beginning of work in the United States on the project of the future B-1. Two aviation design bureaus began designing the aircraft: the Design Bureau of P.O. Sukhoi (Moscow Engineering Plant "Kulon") and the newly restored Design Bureau of V.M .Myasishchev (EMZ - Experimental Machine-Building Plant, located in Zhukovsky). The Design Bureau of A.N. Tupolev (Moscow Engineering Plant "Experience") was loaded with other topics and, most likely, for this reason, was not involved in work on a new strategic bomber at this stage.

A competition was announced. By the beginning of the 70s, both teams, based on the requirements of the assignment received and the preliminary tactical and technical requirements of the Air Force, prepared their projects. Both design bureaus offered four-engine variable-sweep wing aircraft, but with completely different schemes. The M-18 Myasishchev Design Bureau was declared the winner in the 1972 competition.

However, this design bureau (just revived) did not have its own production base and there was nowhere to turn the aircraft into metal. The Sukhoga Design Bureau specialized in fighters and front-line bombers. After a series of intrigues at the government level, Tupolev was assigned to build a strategic bomber, to whose design bureau they transferred project documentation from OKB Myasishchev and Sukhoi

The TTZ for the aircraft also changed, because At that time, negotiations on SALT (limitation of strategic arms) were intensively going on. In the seventies, a new weapon appeared - long-range low-altitude cruise missiles (over 2500 km), flying around the terrain. This radically changed the strategy for using strategic bombers.

The full-scale layout of the new bomber was approved in 1977. In the same year, at the experimental production of MMZ "Experience" in Moscow, they began to assemble a batch of 3 experimental machines. The wing and stabilizers for them were produced in Novosibirsk, the fuselage was manufactured in Kazan, landing gear - in Gorky. The final assembly of the first prototype was made in January 1981, the Tu-160 aircraft with the numbers "70-1" and "70-3" were intended for flight tests, and the aircraft with the number "70-02" for static tests.

On December 18, 1981, the first flight of the TU-160 multi-mode strategic bomber took place.

The first flight of the aircraft with serial number "70-01" took place on December 18, 1981 (crew commander was B. I. Veremey), and on October 6, 1984, a car with serial number "70-03" took off, which already had a complete set serial bomber equipment. After another 2 years, on August 15, 1986, the 4th serial bomber left the gates of the assembly shop in Kazan, which became the first combatant. In total, 8 aircraft of two experimental series were involved in the performance of flight tests.

During the state tests, which were completed in mid-1989, 4 successful launches of X-55 cruise missiles, which were the main weapon of the vehicle, were carried out from the bomber-missile carrier. Also achieved maximum speed horizontal flight, amounting to almost 2200 km / h. At the same time, during the operation, it was decided to limit the speed threshold to a speed of 2000 km / h, which was mainly due to the preservation of the resource of the propulsion system and airframe.

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The first 2 experimental Tu-160 strategic bombers were included in the Air Force combat unit on April 17, 1987. After the collapse of the USSR, almost all the production vehicles available at that time (19 bombers) remained on the territory of Ukraine, at the air base in the city of Pryluky. In 1992, bombers of this type began to enter service with the 1st TBAP of the Russian Air Force, which was based in Engels. By the end of 1999, there were 6 Tu-160 aircraft at this air base, another part of the aircraft was in Kazan (under assembly) and at the airfield in Zhukovsky. Currently, most of the Russian Tu-160s have individual names. For example, the Air Force has Ilya Muromets aircraft (this was the name of the world's first heavy bomber, which was built in Russia in 1913), "Mikhail Gromov", "Ivan Yarygin", "Vasily Reshetnikov".

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The high performance of the Russian strategic bomber was confirmed by setting 44 world records. In particular, with a payload of 30 tons, the aircraft flew along a closed route 1000 km long. at a speed of 1720 km / h. And in flight at a distance of 2000 km., With a takeoff weight of 275 tons, the aircraft was able to reach an average speed of 1678 km / h, as well as a flight altitude of 11,250 m.

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During serial production, the bomber was subjected to a number of improvements, which were determined by the experience of its operation. For example, the number of valves for feeding aircraft engines was increased, which made it possible to increase the stability of the turbojet engine with an afterburner and simplify their controllability. The replacement of a number of structural elements from metal to carbon fiber allowed to some extent to reduce the weight of the aircraft. The hatches of the operator and navigator were equipped with rear-view periscopes, it was also finalized software and changes were made to the hydraulic system.

As part of the implementation of a multi-stage program to reduce radar visibility, a special graphite radar-absorbing coating was applied to the channels of the air intakes and shells, and the nose of the aircraft was also covered with radar-absorbing paint. It was possible to implement measures to shield the engines. The introduction of mesh filters into the cockpit glazing made it possible to eliminate the re-reflection of radar radiation from its internal surfaces.

To date, the Tu-160 strategic bomber-missile carrier is the most powerful combat vehicle in the world. In terms of the composition of weapons and its main characteristics, it significantly surpasses its American counterpart - the multi-mode strategic bomber V-1V "Lancer". It is assumed that further work to improve the Tu-160, in particular, the expansion and renewal of the armament, as well as the installation of a new avionics, will further increase its potential.

The Tu-160 bomber is made according to the normal aerodynamic configuration with variable wing geometry. A design feature of the airframe of the aircraft is an integrated circuit of the aerodynamic layout, according to which the fixed part of the wing forms a single whole with the fuselage. This decision made it possible to make the best use of the internal volumes of the airframe for accommodating fuel, cargo, various equipment, as well as to reduce the number of structural joints, which led to a decrease in the weight of the structure.

The bomber airframe is made mainly from aluminum alloys (B-95 and AK-4, heat-treated to increase the resource). Wing consoles are made of titanium and high-strength aluminum alloys and docked to the hinges, allowing you to change the sweep of the wing in the range from 20 to 65 degrees. The proportion of titanium alloys in the mass of the bomber airframe is 20%, fiberglass is also used, glued three-layer structures are widely used.

The crew of the bomber, consisting of 4 people, is located in a single spacious pressurized cabin. In front of it, there are seats for the first and second pilots, as well as for the navigator-operator and navigator. All crew members are placed in K-36DM ejection seats. To increase the efficiency of operators and pilots during a long flight, the seat backs are equipped with pillows with pulsating air for massage. At the rear of the cockpit is a small-sized kitchen, a folding bunk for rest and a toilet. Aircraft of late production models were equipped with a built-in gangway.

The landing gear of the aircraft is tricycle with 2 steerable wheels of the front support. The main landing gear has an oscillating suspension strut and is behind the bomber's center of mass. They have pneumatic shock absorbers and three-axle bogies with 6 wheels. The landing gear retracts into small niches in the fuselage back along the bomber's flight. Shields and aerodynamic deflectors, designed to press air against the runway, are responsible for protecting the engine air intakes from dirt and precipitation.

The Tu-160 power plant includes 4 bypass turbojet engines with an afterburner NK-32 (created by the Design Bureau of N. D. Kuznetsov). Engines have been mass-produced in Samara since 1986, until the mid-1990s they had no analogues in the world. NK-32 is one of the world's first serial engines, during the design of which measures were taken to reduce infrared and radar visibility. The aircraft engines are located in pairs in the engine nacelles and are separated from each other by special fireproof partitions. The motors operate independently of each other. To implement an autonomous power supply, a separate auxiliary gas turbine power plant was also installed on the Tu-160.

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The Tu-160 bomber is equipped with a PRNA sighting and navigation system, consisting of an optoelectronic bomber sight, a surveillance and sighting radar, INS, SNS, an astrocorrector and the Baikal airborne defense system (containers with dipole reflectors and IR traps, a heat direction finder). There is also a multi-channel digital communication complex, which is interfaced with satellite systems. More than 100 special computers are involved in the bomber's avionics.

The onboard defense complex of a strategic bomber guarantees the detection and classification of the radar of the enemy air defense system, the determination of their coordinates and their subsequent disorientation by decoys, or suppression by powerful active interference. For bombing, the Thunderstorm sight is used, which ensures the destruction of various targets with high accuracy in daylight conditions and in low light levels. The direction finder for detecting missiles and enemy aircraft from the rear hemisphere is located in the rearmost part of the fuselage. In the tail cone there are containers with chaff and IR traps. In the cockpit there are standard electromechanical devices, which are generally similar to those installed on the Tu-22M3. The heavy machine is controlled using the control stick (joystick), as on fighter jets.

The armament of the aircraft is located in 2 intra-fuselage cargo compartments, which can contain a variety of target load with a total weight of up to 40 tons. The armament can consist of 12 X-55 subsonic cruise missiles on 2 drum-type multi-position launchers, as well as up to 24 X-15 hypersonic missiles on 4 launchers. To destroy small-sized tactical targets, the aircraft can use corrected aerial bombs (KAB) weighing up to 1500 kg. Also, the aircraft can carry up to 40 tons of conventional free-fall bombs. In the future, the weapon system of a strategic bomber can be significantly enhanced by including new high-precision cruise missiles, for example, the X-555, designed to destroy both tactical and strategic ground and sea targets of almost all possible classes.

Tu-160 with increased swept wings Supersonic flight

Tu-160 strategic bomber bomber recognized flagship Russian distant aviation! In Russia he is called White Swan! On the Tu-160 established 44 world records! He is able to carry 45 tons of rockets and bombs different class! This 24 hypersonic missiles, 12 strategic cruise missiles missiles, guided bombs caliber up to 1.5 tons. Tu-160 has enough high maneuverability. He is able to fly at low altitude with contouring terrain ! When flying Tu-160 in this mode to bring down it's enough hard! On board Tu-160 installed about 100 electronic computers cars! Fuel on the Tu-160 not like that how on ordinary airplanes. It nitrided and burns only in engines plane! Design fuel tanks is that they divided into parts respectively when breaking through one tank no fuel wasted plane! Maximum speed Tu-160 - 2 speeds of sound at high altitude ( 2500 kilometers per hour or 695 meters per second)!

First once the plane took off at the end of 1981 of the year. Tu-160 was accepted for serial production more before passing all flight tests. Such a rush was caused by the what Americans at that point in time has already been released strategic supersonic missile carrier B-1 B. IN 1988 year Tu-160 was accepted into armament.

Flight characteristics of the Tu-160 much improved, compared to other aircraft of this class, due to such an element in the design of the aircraft as, variable wing geometry! Variable wing geometry - this sweep angle change wings directly in flight. On the Tu-160 variable wing geometry has been applied for the first time in the USSR, on heavy strategic missile carrier. At a minimum wing sweep significantly run length is reduced aircraft on takeoff And run length at landing, but at maximum wing sweep is achieved maximum speed flight.

In the manufacture Tu-160 for improvement by weight And strength characteristics was titanium is used. During the production of this aircraft in the USSR for the first time special vacuum welding with an electron beam.

Some technical characteristics of the Tu-160: maximum speed flight at a minimum altitude of 1,300 kilometers per hour; cruising speed 917 kilometers per hour; maximum takeoff weight - 275 tons; empty airplane 110 tons; maximum weight fuel 148 tons; 4 engine thrust of 25 tons per second each; maximum height flight 21 000 meters; maximum range flight without refueling in the air 13 300 kilometers; maximum time finding in the air without refueling 15 hours; the aircraft is equipped air refueling system. For takeoff Tu-160 fit band, long from 1 700 meters .

At times the USSR was put forward idea, build 100 aircraft Tu-160 on the Kazan aircraft factory , but these plans not destined It was come true. After the collapse USSR 21 airplane Tu-160 remained in Ukraine at the strategic airbase in Priluki. At that moment time Russian leadership basically doubted what are planes generally needed country. started difficult negotiations with Ukraine on the transfer of aircraft to Russia. IN 1999 year managed to agree on transmission 8 aircraft Tu-160, in exchange for forgiveness Ukraine debt behind oil products. Rest aircraft to 1999 year Ukraine already managed to cut for scrap metal! On the moment of time 2015 year Russia It has about 20 aircraft Tu-160.

Strategic supersonic bomber bomber Tu-160 was conceived like an airplane capable of flying combat actions like in the nuclear so in non-nuclear war. He must overcome long distances to the borders enemy at subsonic speed and pass air defense enemy on supersonic speed! strategic bomber bombers, including Tu-160, always on combat missions fly in pairs!

Yet in the 1970s years in the USSR developed projects strategic missile carriers hypersonic flying speed on hydrogen fuel. IN USA accepted program creation hypersonic strategic missile carrier by 2025 year !

In the 60s of the last century Soviet Union emphasized the development of missile weapons, and strategic aviation, represented by Tu-95 and M-4 with subsonic speeds, was considered unable to overcome the air defense of NATO countries.

The decision of the United States to create a new strategic supersonic bomber B-1 prompted the leadership of the USSR to take adequate retaliatory measures. The Council of Ministers decided to start preparing a project for a modern intercontinental strategic supersonic aircraft, which later received the designation TU-160, and the pilots had an affectionate name - "White Swan".

The history of the Tu 160 aircraft project

The design of the new bomber was entrusted to the Sukhoi Design Bureau and the Myasishchev Design Bureau. By the beginning of the 70s, the projects were submitted for consideration. Both projects turned out to be similar - this is a supersonic machine with four engines and a variable sweep wing, but still the schemes were different.

In 1969, the Tupolev Design Bureau with experience in creating a supersonic passenger aircraft joined the project. Tu-144. Having considered the projects of the Sukhoi and Myasishchev Design Bureau and the out-of-competition project of the Tupolev Design Bureau, it was decided to give work on the project to the Tupolev team, as they had great practice in creating supersonic machines.

In addition to the Tupolev Design Bureau, enterprises of the military-industrial complex, the Air Force Research Institute, TsAGI were involved, since 1972 more than 800 organizations have taken part.
The first prototype (designation 70-01) took off from the ground in December 1981 with a crew led by test pilot B. Veremey from the Ramenskoye airfield. The second sample was intended for static tests. The first four samples were made at the Opyt enterprise.

Tu 160 scheme

Serial aircraft were manufactured at the Kazan Aviation Plant. In 1984, on October 10, the series was given a ticket to heaven.

Description of the aircraft Tu 160

The design of the machine is built on an integral aerodynamic layout with a low-lying wing with a sweep that changes in flight. Sweep can be changed from 200 to 650.
The wing is equipped with rich mechanization - on each console there are slats along the entire length, behind - flaps. In front of the flaps, a flaperon and a spoiler were built into the console design.

The radio-transparent radome of the antenna hides inside the onboard radar for viewing the front sphere. In the space between the cockpit and the surveillance locator blocks is the Sopka radar, designed for flying at low altitude with enveloping the terrain.

The cockpit is designed for four members - two pilots and two navigators, who sit side by side. The first navigator is responsible for aircraft navigation, the other for the use of weapons. Armchairs are equipped with a catapult.

Under the influx of the wing in front are multi-mode air intakes that regulate the oncoming flow and supply it to the engines. The cross section of the intake channels changes, from a rectangular one smoothly turns into a round one. The power plant consists of four NK-32 turbofan engines, placed two on each side of the fuselage.

The keel of the Tu-160 is made of two sections, the fuselage body is rigidly connected to the lower part, and the upper trapezoidal section acts as a rudder. On the fixed part of the keel, the swivel mechanism and the swivel stabilizer itself are attached.

The landing gear of the aircraft is made according to a three-bearing scheme, the main landing gear on each support has six wheels, retractable into a niche on the center section between the air intakes and the weapons compartment. The nose landing gear is two-wheeled, in the retracted position it is located between the weapons compartment and the cockpit.

The design of the aircraft allows you to place 171 tons of fuel in 13 caisson tanks, which at a cruising speed with a sweep of 350 makes it possible to cover a distance of 14 thousand km. In-flight refueling is also provided - the fuel receiver in the form of a retractable rod is located in the bow, in front of the cockpit.

Tu 160 in the air

To fulfill its mission - to break through the enemy's air defense and strike at important strategic targets, it is equipped with the Baikal airborne defense system. This complex includes stations for detecting threats from aviation and air defense systems, electronic warfare stations and automatic devices for shooting false targets and traps.

At the bottom of the nose of the aircraft there is an OPB-15T optical-electronic sight for accurate bombing and a viewing camera in the front lower sphere. The inertial navigation system, celestial navigation system and satellite tracking system equipment make it possible to fly with high accuracy with the location of the aircraft displayed on the navigator's indicators.

The performance data of the Tu 160 bomber

Tu 160 "White Swan"

Flight characteristics Tu 160

• The maximum speed at an altitude of 12 thousand. m - 2200 km / h.
• The maximum speed near the ground is 1030 km / h.
• Cruising speed - 850-920 km / h.
• Rate of climb - 70 m / s.
• The practical range without refueling is 14 thousand km.
• Ceiling - 15600 m.
• Combat radius - 7300 km.
• Flight duration - 14.5 hours.

The power plant of the aircraft Tu 160

• Four turbofan engines NK-32 with thrust in cruising mode - 137.2 kN.
  afterburner - 245.7 kN.

Tu 160 dimensions

• The length of the aircraft is 54.10 m.
• The height of the aircraft is 13.10 m.
• Wingspan, sweep 200 - 55.7 m.
• Wingspan, sweep 350 - 50.7 m.
• Wingspan, sweep 650 - 35.6 m.

Aircraft weight Tu 160

• Empty, equipped aircraft - 117 tons.
• Takeoff maximum - 225 tons.

Tu 160 aircraft armament

• On the installation of the drum type - 6 ALCM Kh-55SM / 101/102.
• Short-range missiles X-15 - 12 pcs.

Interesting about the strategic bomber Tu 160

Forty-four world records are registered on the White Swan account.

Each side is named after an outstanding designer or famous pilot.

Tu 160 "Valentin Bliznyuk"

Only this strategic bomber can boast of its own kitchen and bathroom; before it, military aircraft were not equipped with such amenities.

"Baton" was named in NATO, and Russian pilots affectionately - "White Swan".

It is perhaps the largest variable-sweep wing aircraft in the world.

While on a visit to Russia, Frank Carpucci, the then US Secretary of Defense, inspected and entering the cockpit, touched his head with an electrical shield. Since then, the pilots have nicknamed him "Carpucci's shield."

Video: p cruise missiles on terrorist targets in Syria from Tu 160

Tu-160(NATO classification: Blackjack) is a Soviet/Russian supersonic strategic bomber developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 1980s.

History of Tu-160

In the 1960s, the Soviet Union was developing strategic missile weapons, while at the same time the United States was betting on strategic aviation. The policy pursued at that time led to the fact that by the beginning of the 1970s the USSR had a powerful system of nuclear missile deterrence, but strategic aviation had at its disposal only subsonic bombers and were no longer able to overcome the air defense of NATO countries. The situation was not so critical until in the United States, within the framework of the AMSA (Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft) program, work began on the creation of a bomber that makes all aircraft of this type of the previous generation, in fact, a relic of the past. In 1967, the USSR decided to start work on its own new strategic bomber.

The Sukhoi Design Bureau and the Myasishchev Design Bureau began work on the new bomber. OKB Tupolev was not involved due to the heavy workload.

By the early 1970s, both design bureaus had prepared their projects. The Sukhoi Design Bureau was working on the T-4MS project, created on the basis of. OKB Myasishchev worked on the M-18 project with variable wing geometry.

After the Air Force presented new tactical and technical requirements for a promising multi-mode strategic aircraft in 1969, the Tupolev Design Bureau also began to develop. Here there was a rich experience in solving the problems of supersonic flight, obtained in the process of developing the Tu-144.

In 1972, the commission considered the designs of the Sukhoi Design Bureau and the Myasishchev Design Bureau submitted for the competition. An out-of-competition project of the Tupolev Design Bureau was also considered. Given the experience of the Tupolev Design Bureau in creating complex supersonic aircraft, the development of a strategic carrier aircraft was entrusted to Tupolev.

The first flight of the prototype took place on December 18, 1981 at the Ramenskoye airfield. The second copy of the aircraft was used for static tests. Later, a second flying aircraft joined the tests.

In 1984 Tu-160 was launched in mass production at the Kazan Aviation Plant.

Tu-160 design

When creating the aircraft, proven solutions were widely used for the machines already created in the design bureau: Tu-144 and Tu-142MS, and part of the systems and some components and assemblies were transferred to the Tu-160 without changes. Aluminum alloys, stainless steel, titanium alloys, composites are widely used in the design.

The Tu-160 aircraft is made according to the scheme of an integral low-wing aircraft with a variable sweep wing, a tricycle landing gear, an all-moving stabilizer and a keel. Wing mechanization includes slats, double-slotted flaps, spoilers and flaperons are used for roll control. Four NK-32 engines are installed in pairs in engine nacelles, in the lower part of the fuselage. The APU is used as an autonomous power unit.

Video Tu-160: Takeoff of the Tu-160 bomber, the city of Zhukovsky

Integrated circuit glider. In the forward unpressurized part, a radar antenna is installed, followed by an unpressurized radio equipment compartment. The central integral part of the aircraft with a length of 47.368 m includes the actual fuselage with a cockpit and two weapons compartments. The cabin is a single pressurized compartment.

A wing on a variable-sweep aircraft. Wingspan with minimum sweep is 57.7 meters. The turning part of the wing is rearranged along the leading edge from 20 to 65 degrees.

On the plane, a tricycle landing gear with a front and a pair of main struts.

The aircraft is equipped with four NK-32 engines, which are a further development of the NK-144, NK-22 and NK-25 lines.

Modification projects

• Tu-160V (Tu-161)- aircraft project power plant running on liquid hydrogen.
• Tu-160 NK-74- with more economical NK-74 engines.
• Tu-160P- a project of a heavy escort fighter, based on the Tu-160.
• Tu-160PP- electronic warfare aircraft, was brought to the stage of manufacturing a full-scale layout.
• Tu-160K- a draft design of the Krechet combat aviation missile system, within the framework of which it was planned to install two two-stage ballistic missiles on the Tu-160 - a range of more than 10 thousand kilometers.
• Tu-160SK- carrier aircraft of the Burlak aerospace system, capable of launching loads up to 1100 kg into orbit.
• Tu-160M- Tu-160 modernization project, which provides for the installation of new radio-electronic equipment and weapons. Capable of carrying conventional weapons.

Tu-160M2

In 2016, the Russian Ministry of Defense decided to resume the production of Tu-160 bombers in the extreme design modification of the Tu-160M2. The aircraft will have a basic design and engines, but all onboard equipment will be completely new, which should significantly increase the combat performance of the aircraft.

It is planned to purchase a batch of 50 aircraft, the first of which should enter the Russian Aerospace Forces in the early 2020s.

Armament Tu-160

Initially, the aircraft was built exclusively as a missile carrier - a carrier of long-range cruise missiles with nuclear warheads, designed to strike at area targets. In the future, it was planned to modernize and expand the range of ammunition carried.

The Kh-55SM strategic cruise missiles in service with the Tu-160 are designed to engage stationary targets with predetermined coordinates. The missiles are placed on two drum launchers, six each, in two cargo compartments of the aircraft. To hit targets at a shorter range, the armament may include Kh-15S aeroballistic hypersonic missiles.

The aircraft, after appropriate re-equipment, can also be equipped with free-fall bombs (up to 40,000 kg) of various calibers, including nuclear, one-time bomb clusters, naval mines and other weapons.

In the future, the composition of the bomber’s armament is planned to be significantly strengthened by introducing into its composition the new generation Kh-555 and Kh-101 high-precision cruise missiles, which have an increased range and are designed to destroy both strategic and tactical ground and sea targets of almost all classes.

Is in service

Russian Air Force - 16 Tu-160s are in service with the 121st Guards TBAP of the 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division of the Donbass Red Banner of the 37th Air Army of the Supreme High Command (Engels air base), as of 2012. Until 2015, all Tu-160s in service with the Russian Air Force will be modernized and repaired.

The TU-160 strategic bomber, the so-called "White Swan" or Blackjack (baton) in NATO terminology, is a unique aircraft.
TU-160 has excellent specifications: This is the most formidable bomber that can also carry cruise missiles. This is the largest supersonic and graceful aircraft in the world. Developed in the 1970-1980s at the Tupolev Design Bureau and has a variable sweep wing. It has been in service since 1987.

The TU-160 bomber was the "response" to the US AMSA ("Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft") program, under which the notorious B-1 Lancer was created. The TU-160 missile carrier, in almost all characteristics, was significantly ahead of its main competitors Lancers. The speed of the Tu 160 is 1.5 times higher, the maximum flight range and combat radius are just as much greater. And the thrust of the engines is almost twice as powerful. At the same time, the "invisible" B-2 Spirit cannot stand any comparison, in which, for the sake of stealth, literally everything was sacrificed, including distance, flight stability and payload.

Quantity and cost of TU-160

The history of the creation of the TU-160

Specifications

Design features

Armament