The first Tupolev Tu-160M supersonic strategic bomber to be manufactured in more than 25 years successfully completed its initial flight on Wednesday. The flight, which launched from the airfield at Tupolev’s Kazan Aviation Plant in Kazan, Russia, lasted about 30 minutes. According to the company, maneuvers were preformed to check the stability and controllability of the aircraft in the air.
“We have restored the full production cycle of the Tu-160, but already in the M modification, using modernized engines, modernized aircraft control systems, navigation systems, and weapons control systems,” said Denis Manturov, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation [translated]. “The modernization of the Kazan Aviation Plant played an important role in restoring the production of unique aircraft: the equipment of the shops, the flight test base was updated, and the world’s largest installation for electron beam welding and vacuum annealing of titanium was put into operation.”
Tupolev, which is part of the Rostec State Corporation’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), says that more than 40 percent of the workshop equipment at the Kazan Aviation Plant was “updated and modernized” for the program. The latest version of the Tupolev Tu-160, the new-production Tu-160M has reportedly had around 80 percent of its systems and equipment upgraded including the addition of the new NK-32 Series 2 engine developed by Rostec’s United Engine Corporation. The original Tu-160 model entered service in 1987.
Isn’t it a little late to be building BONE rip-offs?
BONE rip-off? Not exactly.
How many new-build heavy bombers has the USAF received in the last 10 years?
This one looks more like the B-1 than the previous clone. New engines must mean a life of more than 200 hours. Mean while our Bones are going to the boneyard. The Bone was never as capable as a B-52 or an F111, just big, loud and usually broken.
Interesting that the Russians keep building and improving their military systems with money they earn, unlike the US where the money comes out of thin air just being created not earned. How long do you think the comparative systems will survive?
“… using modernized engines …”
Electric, I’ll bet. (As in “Fully Green.”)
Not.
And, per @Dale, meanwhile our Military is more concerned about Political Correctness.
I wonder who’s going to win the next war?
Not.