On Monday, November 29, Russia announced preparations for testing a new-built Tu-160M strategic bomber. The Polish edition of Defence24 suggested that this indicates that Russian strategic aviation is lagging behind the United States.
The publication noted that the characteristics of the new-built aircraft are not disclosed. The author suggested that the bomber-missile carrier will receive the NA-32-02 engine and new avionics.
"These works paradoxically point to a significant lag between Russia and the United States, which not only put the B-2 Spirit strategic bomber into service, but are now at an advanced stage of work on its successor, designated the B-21 Raider," the Polish edition writes. Defence24 notes that the Russian equivalent of the B-2 will be a promising PAK-DA bomber, but its development is at an early stage.
Earlier, a source in the aircraft industry said that by the end of the year, the Tu-160 will be tested at the Kazan Aviation Plant named after Sergei Gorbunov. The newly built aircraft will make a run on the runway.
In October, UEC-Kuznetsov announced an increase in the production of NK-32 engines. The entire fleet of Tu-160 aircraft will receive new power units.
Daniil Irinin
