The modernization of the Tu-160M strategic missile carriers did not deprive the machine of vulnerabilities. The aircraft did not receive stealth coverage, and its maintenance requires a lot of money. The author of the 19FortyFive portal, Brent Eastwood, called the main disadvantages of the Russian aircraft.
The publication notes that the updated Tu-160 received new NK-32-02 engines, avionics and weapons. The aircraft will also be able to carry a new missile that will destroy enemy radars.
However, the author of the material believes that modernization has not solved the main problems of the Tu-160. "I'm not really impressed with the updated Blackjack. It has a really long range, and these stealth cruise missiles are really interesting. But in fact it is the same plane," Eastwood said.
The author of 19FortyFive emphasizes that without stealth coverage, the Tu-160 remains a vulnerable target. In addition, the number of aircraft in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces is not enough to change the strategic situation. Eastwood attributed high fuel consumption and the lack of defensive weapons to the disadvantages of the car, which makes the Tu-160 vulnerable.
In August, the head of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Colonel-General Vladimir Zarudnitsky, said on the creation of a long-range aviation hypersonic missile. According to him, the upgraded Tu-22M3M and Tu-160M aircraft will receive the new missile.
Daniil Irinin
