According to military expert Dmitry Drozdenko, so far, no opponent has been able to match the capabilities of the Tu-160 M. Even the US is trying to catch up with Russia’s strategic aircraft capable of nuclear deterrence. .
Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 22 made a flight on a modernized version of the Tu-160M strategic bomber.
“It really is a new machine in many respects. Even a normal person can see that the control is smoother. The plane was very reliable, as were its weapons. This is a new plane,” the Russian leader said after completing the flight on the Tu-160M “Ilya Muromets”.
The Tu-160M is an upgraded version of the Tu-160, called the White Swan by Russian pilots. The new aircraft, which made its first flight on January 12, has upgraded engines, sophisticated avionics, and new weapons control and electronic warfare systems.
“In fact, what’s left of the old plane is the fuselage. The engine was replaced by the NK-32-02 of the second generation, that is, more advanced. The aircraft has completely changed in terms of avionics, radio electronics, control systems… From an aircraft of the 20th century, it has become a fighter aircraft of the 21st century.” , Mr. Dmitry Drozdenko, military analyst, Editor-in-Chief of Fatherland Arsenal magazine, assessed.
Russian military expert Yury Knutov said that the NK-32-02 engine allows the “White Swan” to increase its flight range by 1,000km.
The engine of the Tu-160M is the brainchild of Russian engineers. The distant prototype of the NK-32-02 was the NK-6, the world’s first dual-circuit engine with an afterburner that produced a maximum thrust of 22 tons. The engine was invented by famous Soviet designer Nikolai Kuznetsov in the 1950s and successfully tested in 1956. It took 15 years for such engines to appear in America.
Work on the NK-32 engine for the Tu-160 began in 1977. In 1983, this new engine was ranked No. 1 in the world in terms of thrust for fighter aircraft. In 2016, PJSC “Kuznetsov” announced that it would produce a new version of the NK-32.
The Tu-160M is capable of carrying 12 long-range cruise missiles, including the non-nuclear Kh-555 and Kh-101 as well as the Kh-102 nuclear missile in two launchers inside the fuselage with a large payload. Maximum load 45 tons.
A source in the aviation industry said that the Tu-160M may be equipped with a rear observation radar, allowing it to launch missiles backwards to counter air-to-air missiles, surface-to-air missiles and aircraft. combat flight. The source added, “the use of rear observation radar on heavy bombers is justified, since they have low mobility and may not have enough time to turn towards the enemy.”
America is trying to catch up with Russia
“Why did Russia upgrade the Tu-160 fighter jet? In fact, from the perspective of the Russian military, modern strategic bombers are not only bombers but also platforms for launching strategic cruise missiles. They are launched at a distance of 1,000 km. Therefore, the task of modern aircraft is to approach the launch area and launch quickly and effectively,” Mr. Drozdenko explained.
Up to now, no modern foreign aircraft has been able to match the capabilities of the Tu-160, so focusing on producing this aircraft is completely reasonable and cost-effective, instead of pouring billions of dollars. USD into extremely expensive military projects like the F-35. The F-35 Lightning II program costs up to $416 billion by 2023.
According to military expert Drozdenko, there is currently no aircraft similar to the Tu-160M in the world. For example, the American-made B-1B served only as a nuclear-armed bomber until 2007. The modern American B-2 fighter, also known as the stealth bomber, can carry nuclear weapons, but it cannot fire multiple cruise missiles mounted in a rotating launcher like Russia’s Tu-160/160M.
“Thus, the B-2 Spirit can only carry out a nuclear attack when it is actually over the target, not at a distance of 1,000 km; B2 must also rely on its ‘stealth ability’ to overcome all air defense systems, which is an unrealistic task,” expert Drozdenko emphasized.
According to Mr. Drozdenko, the US is modernizing old B-52 bombers. In January 2024, the US press reported that the Pentagon had a $48.6 billion plan to extend the B-52’s service life until 2060. The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress made the flight. first 71 years ago. At the same time, the US is also urgently developing the new Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider aircraft.
This expert argues that Russia’s Tu-160/160M, is capable of reaching speeds close to Mach 2 (2,200 km/h) and is still unmatched by any other aircraft.
“When NATO tried to intercept, the plane just folded its wings and in the blink of an eye it was gone. American F-35 fighters cannot catch up in terms of speed. It’s a unique case: a bomber flies faster than a fighter plane,” Mr. Drozdenko said.
The F-35 fighter has a maximum speed of about Mach 1.6 or 1,976 km/h.
Mission of the Tu-160M
According to Mr. Drozdenko, the main purpose of the Tu-160 is to perform missile combat missions, an important element in Russia’s nuclear and deterrence forces.
“Its main goal is to launch missiles quickly, and a nuclear missile means the destruction of a metropolis. This is one of the most important nuclear deterrent forces,” Mr. Drozdenko said.
“The Tu-160M will perform the same tasks that long-range aircraft previously performed,” Andrey Krasnoperov, military expert and Russian aerospace major, told Sputnik.
“Russia has a whole series of Tu-16, Tu-95, Tu-22M aircraft. But they have different ranges. Some have lower speeds; The Tu-16 and Tu-95 are both strategic and subsonic aircraft. We have Tu-22 supersonic aircraft but their range is not as far as the Tu-160. The Tu-160 once made a safe flight to Venezuela, meaning they have quite a long range, and they are Russia’s main means of carrying bombs and strategic missiles. It is a deterrent weapon,” Mr. Krasnoperov said.