Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack
The Tu-160 supersonic strategic bomber was manufactured by the Tupolev Aircraft Research and Engineering Complex Joint Stock Company in Moscow from 1980 to 1992. Production has been restarted since a Tu-160 was delivered to the Russian Air Force in May 2000. 14 aircrafts are now in service with Russian.
The purpose of the aircraft is the delivery of nuclear and conventional weapons deep in continental theaters of operation. The aircraft has all-weather, day and night capability and can operate at all geographical latitudes. The performance of the Russian Tu-160 is often compared to the U.S. B-1B. The aircraft has an operational range of 14,000km and a service ceiling of 16,000m.
A re-arming plan for the Tu-160 under which the modernized Tu-160 was to carry 12 Kh-101s or Kh-SDs was halted in 1998. At that time the Russian Air Force had only six bombers of this type and talks on buying a further 19 from Ukraine fell through. In April 1998, it was decided that Ukraine’s Tu-160s would be scrapped. There was therefore no sense in launching an upgrade program and the complete withdrawal of the Tu-160 from service was being considered.
The Russian Air Force is planning a limited upgrade for the Tu-160 fleet. The first stage of the upgrade will equip the aircraft with the conventional armed Kh-101 and Kh-555 cruise missiles, as well as the new Sigma fire control system for these missiles. The upgrades, carried out by KAPO at Kazan, extend the service life of the Tu-160 until at least 2020-2025. The first two Tu-160 bombers carrying conventional cruise missiles will be stationed at the Air Force base near Engels in the Saratov region in 2005.
Filed Under History
Comments
Leave a Reply