Tu-160 supersonic strategic bomber was manufactured by the Tupolev. The NATO reporting name for the aircraft is Blackjack.
About the Aircraft
The purpose of the bomber is the deliver conventional and nuclear weapons in military operations.
Tu-160 is the world’s largest combat aircraft, largest variable-sweep aircraft built and largest supersonic aircraft. It has the heaviest take-off weight of any military aircraft other than transport military aircraft.
There were plans in the 1990s to use a specialized commercial variant of the bomber, designated the Tu-160SK, as a launch platform for the Burlak air-launched satellite launcher.
Propulsion
Tu-160 uses four Kuznetsov NK-32 afterburning turbofan engines. It is capable of reaching Mach 2.05 speed at altitude.
Specifications
Type: Long Range Bomber
Powerplants: Four NK-321 Kuzenestov 25, 000 kg thrust afterburning turbofans.
Empty Weight: 118, 000 kg
Max. Take-Off Weight: 275, 000 kg
Span: 55.70 m
Length: 54.10 m
Height: 13.10 m
Speed: 2,220 km/h
Range: 12,300 km unrefuelled
Number of Aircraft: About 35 aircraft were built. 16 are in service in Russia.
History
The first flight of the Tu-160 was in December 1981. The bomber entered service in April 1987.
Tu-160 Production restarted. First was delivered to the Russian Air Force in May 2000.
The Tu-160 made its first flight on December 18, 1981 and entered operational service in April 1987. While an unfinished Soviet airframe was completed and delivered in May 2000, true new-build production of upgraded Tu-160M2 models did not restart until 2015, leading to a first flight in January 2022.
Tupolev Tu-160M2
Tupolev Tu-160M2 Blackjack is an upgrade variant.
The first completely newly manufactured post-Soviet Tu-160M2 successfully completed its maiden flight on January 12, 2022, executing a 30-minute test flight at an altitude of 600 meters.
Full production of the aircraft may begin in 2021.
Future
The Tu-160 serves as Russia’s critical bridge into the 2030s due to severe developmental delays with its next-generation stealth bomber, the PAK DA.
Russia aims to build 50 new Tu-160M2 models to keep the fleet viable through the 2040s, but international electronic sanctions and complex titanium welding demands have slowed production.
Russia’s Tu-160 Bomber vs America’s B-1B
Tu-160 Black Jack is Russia’s Premiere Bomber. Is the B1-B better? It is larger than the B1-B. What do you think?
They both look similar.
Books
 | Tupolev Tu‑160: Soviet Strike Force Spearhead by Yefim Gordon (Author), Dmitriy Komissarov (Author) from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca |
Tu-160 Links
- What Makes Russia’s New Tu-160M2 Blackjack Supersonic Bomber:
- Two Tu-160 strategic bombers enter service as Russia bets on Cold War-era airpower:
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