Russia's supersonic bomber - Tu-160 blackjack

Military Facts
The Tupolev Tu-160 Russian  'White Swan', NATO reporting name Blackjack, is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing heavy strategic bomber designed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the Soviet Union in the 1970s.
It is the largest and heaviest Mach 2+ supersonic military aircraft ever built and second to the experimental XB-70 Valkyrie in overall length and top speed.
As of 2022, it is the largest and heaviest combat aircraft, the fastest bomber in use and the largest and heaviest variable-sweep wing airplane ever flown.
Entering service in 1987, the Tu-160 was the last strategic bomber designed for the Soviet Union.
In 2002, the Russian Defense Ministry and KAPO agreed to modernize all 15 Tu-160s.
In July 2006, the first overhauled and partially modernized aircraft was accepted into Russian service after testing;
it reportedly received the capability to use conventional weapons but was not upgraded with new avionics as previously planned.
The first modernized aircraft capable of carrying the new long-range Kh-555 conventional cruise missile was delivered to the Russian Air Force in April 2008, and a follow-up contract for the modernization of three more aircraft is estimated to cost RUR3.4 billion (US$103 million).

The Tu-160 has four crew in K-36DM ejection seats. The pilot has a fighter-style control stick, but the flight instruments are traditional "steam gauge" dials. A crew rest area, a toilet, and a galley are provided for long flights. There is no HUD, nor are CRT multi-function displays provided in the original aircraft; however, plans for the modernization of all Tu-160s were announced in 2003. They include a new digital flight control system, and the ability to carry new weapon types, such as new non-nuclear long-range cruise missiles.

Weapons are carried in two internal bays, each capable of holding 20,000 kg of free-fall weapons or a rotary launcher for nuclear missiles; additional missiles may also be carried externally. The aircraft's total weapons load capacity is 40,000 kg. However, no defensive weapons are provided; the Tu-160 is the first unarmed post-World War II Soviet bomber. Russia's supersonic bomber - Tu-160 blackjack.
#tu160 #whiteswan #tupolev #russiaairforce #russianfighterjets #heavybomber