Key Points and Summary – Russia’s Tu-160 “Blackjack” remains the world’s largest and fastest bomber and a key leg of Moscow’s nuclear triad.
-With the stealthy PAK DA badly delayed, the Kremlin is modernizing 16 airframes and restarting production as the Tu-160M2, adding new engines, avionics, and long-range cruise missiles used in Syria and against Ukraine.
Tu-160 Bomber. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
-The upgraded “White Swan” can haul up to 40 tons of nuclear or conventional weapons, giving Russia a powerful standoff strike platform.
-But in an era of stealth bombers and dense air defenses, critics question how long this massive, non-stealth aircraft can stay relevant.
Russia’s Tu-160 ‘White Swan’ Is Back in Production – Here’s Why
The Tupolev Tu-160 “Blackjack” bomber is still a significant part of Russia’s nuclear triad.
The Tu-160 is the largest and heaviest combat aircraft in the world, as well as the fastest bomber currently in operation. It’s powered by four Kuznetsov NK-32 afterburning turbofan engines. It can reach a maximum speed of Mach 2.05 (1,572 miles per hour).
Its range of 12,300 kilometers (7,640 miles) allows the Blackjack to conduct intercontinental missions, with in-flight refueling extending its operational radius. These aircraft have been extensively used to launch cruise missile attacks on Ukraine.
But why is Russia now updating and building new Tupolevs?
Tu-160M2: The Blackjack Is Back Into Production
Russia is updating the Tu-160M2 bomber for several key reasons, including delays to its next-generation stealth bomber program; the need for a modern long-range platform for strategic deterrence; and recent combat experience in Ukraine. This revival of a Cold War-era aircraft allows Russia to bolster its air force with modernized, high-payload bombers.
In June 2015, Russian officials announced the fleet of Tupolev Tu-160 bombers was about to grow; the aircraft would go back into production.
Sixteen existing aircraft would be completely overhauled and fitted with all-new onboard systems. Another 50 aircraft would be constructed from the production line at the Kazan Aviation Production Association plant, where the aircraft was initially built.
Tu-160 Bomber. Image Credit: Russian Government.
The Tu-160s that would roll off the assembly lines would essentially be a new aircraft altogether.
The aircraft in this upgraded configuration, as well as any future builds, would be designated the Tu-160M2.
Is The PAK DA Bomber Dead?
Russia is also developing the PAK-DA stealth bomber. Officially named the “Long-Range Aviation Complex,” the PAK DA stealth bomber is being developed to replace aging Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers, the latter of which have been very effectively used in Ukraine.
Designed by the Tupolev design bureau, which has produced the Tu-95 and the Tu-160, the Tu-160M2 aircraft is planned to undertake various missions, ranging from nuclear deterrence to conventional strike operations.
Russia’s Tu-160 bomber. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Tupolev Tu-160 at the 2013 Moscow Victory Day Parade.
It will focus on stealth and advanced avionics to evade the latest air defense systems.
But where is it?
The PAK DA program has been in development for two decades, with initial timelines repeatedly pushed back. And it still hasn’t flown.
The PAK DA program is widely considered more of a fantasy than a true aircraft, a perception fed by persistent delays, reliance on outdated technologies, and the impact of Western sanctions, as well as resource diversion caused by the conflict in Ukraine.
While initially envisioned as a rival to the U.S. B-21 Raider, the program has struggled to overcome technical challenges, particularly in developing the necessary stealth technology and integrating advanced systems.
Presenting the PAK DA bomber as the equivalent of a B-21 Raider is typical Russian posturing, even if the aircraft is eventually built. The bomber is touted as a subsonic sixth-generation aircraft capable of carrying 30 tons of nuclear and conventional weapons, with a range of 7,500 miles. It would feature a flying-wing design, internal weapons bays, AI-driven systems, and drone-teaming capabilities.
The bomber remains in prototype development, with its first flight delayed to 2025 at the earliest, and production unlikely before 2030.
Meet The Tu-160 Blackjack Bomber
The Tu-160 was the last bomber designed for the Soviet Air Force and the only Russian bomber designed with defensive armament. The Blackjack can carry up to 13 cruise missiles in its conventional mode.
Russia developed the Blackjack as a response to the American B-1 bomber, but the two bombers had different missions. The Blackjack was designed as a high-speed, high-altitude nuclear or conventional bomber. The B-1 Lancer was intended to be a low-level, high-speed platform for delivering nuclear weapons under Soviet radar; the American bomber affectionately known as “BONE” switched to an exclusively conventional combat role in the mid-1990s.
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Kenneth Nealis, right, and Senior Airman Christopher Silas, both weapons load crew members assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, transfer a 2,000 pound GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition to a lift truck for loading onto a B-1B Lancer aircraft March 29, 2007, in Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Gustavo Gonzalez) (Released)
The Tu-160 Is a Powerful Machine:
The Tu-160 Blackjack’s four Kuznetsov NK-32 afterburning turbofan engines power it past Mach 2. The Tu-160M has an unrefueled range of 7,640 miles and a service ceiling of 52,493 feet. Its armament capacity is 88,185 lbs. of ordnance, including nuclear and conventional bombs and cruise missiles. This versatility allows the Tu-160M to perform a wide range of missions, from strategic nuclear deterrence to precision conventional strikes.
Two bays are placed in tandem to accommodate the aircraft’s payload. The airframe is made of titanium, heat-treated aluminum alloys, steel alloys, and composite materials. The Tu-160 can refuel in flight using a nose cone-type refueling system that retracts in front of the cockpit.
The aircraft is capable of carrying the strategic Kh-55MS cruise missile. Up to 12 of these missiles can be loaded, six in each bay. A turbofan engine propels the Kh-55MS. Its maximum range is 3,000 km, and it is armed with a 200-kiloton nuclear warhead.
Weapons bays are also fitted with launchers for the Kh-15P, a munition whose solid rocket fuel propulsion gives it a range up to 200 km. The Kh-15P can be fitted with a conventional 250-kilogram warhead or a nuclear warhead. The aircraft is also capable of carrying a range of aerial bombs with a total weight up to 40 tons.
The Tu-160’s nuclear mission is also apparent in the paint scheme, which the Russians refer to as anti-flash white. Accordingly, they have nicknamed the aircraft “The White Swan.” The bright white color would reflect the intense flash of a nuclear explosion, offering more protection to bomber and crew than a darker paint scheme.
Tu-160’s Baptism Of Combat In Syria:
The Tu-160 has been used sparingly in combat, ostensibly due to the greater importance of its strategic role. It was baptized in combat in November 2015 during Russia’s military intervention in the Syrian Civil War.
The Blackjacks conducted airstrikes using Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles on ISIS targets after an ISIS terrorist attack against a Russian Metrojet airliner on Oct. 31, 2015 that killed 249 people, and the Nov. 13, 2015 Paris attacks that killed 129 people.
Tu-160 Bomber. Image Credit: Russian Government.
Ukrainian defense forces claim to have shot down one Blackjack. In addition, this June, Ukrainian drone attacks sparked a massive fire at the Russian airbase at Engels, in western Russia, where Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers are stationed.
While the Tu-160M2 is an improved version of the iconic bomber, featuring enhanced engines with better fuel efficiency and reliability, a modernized radar/avionics suite, and updated weapons, it is still a big, non-stealthy aircraft from a bygone era. The Tu-160M2 can do the job, but for how long?
About the Author:
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
