Moscow. July 13. INTERFAX-AVN-Improving the combat effectiveness of the Tu-160M strategic missile carriers is the most important task that the new NK-32 aircraft engines of the second series will help solve, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a conference call on Tuesday.
"Let's talk about the implementation of the plan for the supply of engines for Tu-160M aircraft. These strategic missile carriers provide the striking power of the air component of the state's nuclear triad. Therefore, improving their combat effectiveness is one of our top priorities," Shoigu said.
According to him, it is possible to advance in solving this problem "by installing new NK-32 engines of the second series on the machines, which can significantly increase the range and duration of the flight by reducing the specific fuel consumption."
"At the meeting, we will discuss how the manufacturer and supplier of engines-UEC-Kuznetsov Joint stock Company-fulfills its obligations to the Ministry of Defense," the head of the department stated.
Earlier it was reported that the production of strategic missile carriers-bombers Tu-160 "White Swan", which are the air component of the nuclear triad, is being restored at the Kazan Aircraft Plant after a long break. It was reported that the new aircraft will not differ from the basic Tu-160 externally, but at the same time its combat capabilities will significantly increase, including by expanding the range of weapons. For this machine, a new series of NK-32 engines is being made, which will increase the flight range of the strategists by one thousand kilometers.
On January 25, 2018, a state contract was signed between the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and the Tupolev company for the supply of the first batch of Tu-160M strategists - it provides for the creation of 10 missile carriers worth 15 billion rubles each. Earlier, the military department reported plans to order 50 such machines.
The first prototype Tu-160M "Igor Sikorsky", created on the basis of a combat aircraft, took off on February 2, 2020.
Currently, there are 16 Tu-160 aircraft in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces. According to the plans of the Ministry of Defense, all of them will undergo a deep modernization in the form of the Tu-160M.
The Tu-160 is a supersonic strategic missile carrier-bomber with a variable wing sweep. It was developed at the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 1970s and 1980s. The aircraft is designed to destroy the most important objects in the deep rear of the enemy with nuclear and conventional weapons. It is capable of carrying 12 cruise missiles on board, all weapons are placed inside the fuselage. In Russia, the Tu-160 is called the "White Swan" for its grace, according to the NATO codification - Blackjack ("Blackjack").