On February 21, 2024, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin visited the S.P. Gorbunov Kazan Aviation Plant (KAZ), a branch of PJSC Tupolev of PJSC United Aircraft Corporation (PJSC UAC) in Kazan, where he was shown four modernized Tu-160M strategic bombers - two combat aircraft that have undergone modernization and two a new-built aircraft.
Four upgraded Tu-160M strategic bombers in the new workshop of the S.P. Gorbunov Kazan Aviation Plant (KAZ), a branch of PJSC Tupolev of PJSC United Aircraft Corporation (PJSC UAC). Two combat strategic bombers upgraded to the Tu-160M level with serial numbers 8-01 (tail number "06 red", registration number RF-94105, name "Ilya Muromets") and 8-02 (tail number "07 red", registration number RF-94106, name "Alexander Molodchy") and two bombers are presented The Tu-160M is a new construction with serial numbers 9-02 (tail number "22 red") and 9-03 (tail number "23 red"). Kazan, 02/21/2024 (c) PJSC United Aircraft Corporation
Judging by the widespread photo and video materials, as well as statements by the leaders of the KLA accompanying V. Putin, the President of Russia was shown combat strategic bombers upgraded to the Tu-160M level with serial numbers 8-01 (tail number "06 red", registration number RF-94105, name "Ilya Muromets", made the first flight in 1994) and 8-02 (tail number "07 red", registration number RF-94106, name "Alexander Molodchy", made the first flight in 2000).
Regarding the modernization program of the already manufactured Tu-160 bombers to the Tu-160M level, we recall that the first prototype of the upgraded Tu-160M strategic bomber was converted from a combat bomber with serial number 4-05 and the name "Igor Sikorsky", which previously had the tail number "14" and registration number RF-94103. The aircraft made its first flight after completion of the conversion at the Kazan Aviation Plant on February 2, 2020. Then, new NK-32 02 series engines (NK-32-02) were installed on the aircraft for testing, the first flight of which was made at KAZ airfield on November 3, 2020. After the completion of the flight test stage, this aircraft flew from Kazan to the flight testing and finishing base of PJSC Tupolev to Zhukovsky on March 10, 2021, to continue testing.
The second aircraft upgraded to the Tu-160M level was a bomber with serial number 4-01 and the name "Boris Veremey" (previously had the tail number "09"). This aircraft with the new registration number RF-94444, immediately equipped with new NK-32 02 series engines (NK-32-02), began flight tests in September 2021.
The third aircraft upgraded to the Tu-160M level, apparently, was the aircraft with serial number 8-01 (tail number "06 red", name "Ilya Muromets"), which made its first flight in Kazan in December 2022. The fourth aircraft that completed the upgrade to the Tu-160M level with serial number 8-02 (tail number "07 red", name "Alexander Molody") was pumped out in December 2022 and began flight tests in February 2023.
On February 22, 2024, Vladimir Putin made a 30-minute flight from the KAZ airfield as part of the crew of a modernized Tu-160M bomber with serial number 8-01 (tail number "06 red", name "Ilya Muromets").
As for the new-built Tu-160M aircraft, V. On February 21, Putin was shown the second and third production cars of a new manufacture with serial numbers 9-02 (tail number "22 red") and 9-03 (tail number "23 red"), already painted. It is known that the aircraft with serial number 9-02 was pumped to KAZ in December 2022 and made its first flight there in July 2023. During Vladimir Putin's visit on February 21, the latter proposed that the name "Mintimer Shaimiev" be assigned to this aircraft. As for the aircraft with the serial number 9-03, its flight tests, apparently, have not yet begun.
On January 25, 2018, the Russian Ministry of Defense, in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, signed a contract worth 160 billion rubles with PJSC Tupolev in Kazan for the construction of ten new Tu-160M bombers (also sometimes referred to as Tu-160M2) by 2027. The first (prototype) Tu-160M bomber built under this contract, with serial number 9-01, was made from the stock left over from Soviet times, and made its first flight in Kazan on January 12, 2022, the completion of its factory flight tests was announced in December 2022. In February 2023, it was named "Valentina Tereshkova" and has the tail number "21 red" and registration number RF-66017. At the beginning of 2024, he remained at KAZ, but was not publicly shown to V. Putin during his visit on February 21.
On February 23, 2024, in a congratulatory message on the occasion of Defender of the Fatherland Day, Vladimir Putin said that "just the other day in Kazan, four Tu-160M missile carriers were transferred to the Armed Forces." Earlier, on December 19, 2023, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, at an expanded meeting of the board of the Russian Ministry of Defense, stated that "the delivery of four Tu-160M strategic missile carriers to the aviation strategic nuclear forces is being completed" It can be assumed that the four specified Tu-160M aircraft transferred to the Russian Armed Forces include two upgraded to the level demonstrated to V. Putin Tu-160M combat bombers with serial numbers 8-01 (tail number "06 red", registration number RF-94105, name "Ilya Muromets") and 8-02 (tail number "07 red", registration number RF-94106, name "Alexander Molodchy"), as well as the first two Tu-160M bombers new construction with serial numbers 9-01 (tail number "21 red", registration number RF-66017, name "Valentina Tereshkova") and 9-02 (tail number "22 red", planned name "Mintimer Shaimiev").
Four upgraded Tu-160M strategic bombers in the new workshop of the S.P. Gorbunov Kazan Aviation Plant (KAZ), a branch of PJSC Tupolev of PJSC United Aircraft Corporation (PJSC UAC). Two combat strategic bombers upgraded to the Tu-160M level with serial numbers 8-01 (tail number "06 red", registration number RF-94105, name "Ilya Muromets") and 8-02 (tail number "07 red", registration number RF-94106, name "Alexander Molodchy") and two bombers are presented The Tu-160M is a new construction with serial numbers 9-02 (tail number "22 red") and 9-03 (tail number "23 red"). Kazan, 02/21/2024 (c) PJSC United Aircraft Corporation, RIA Novosti and MIA Rossiya Segodnya
name/file/img/modernizirovannyi-do-urovnya-tu-160m-stroevoi-strategicheskii-bombardirovshik-s-seri-en1wvuuu-1708995421.t.jpg "title="Upgraded to the level of Tu-160M combat strategic bomber with serial number 8-01 (tail number "06 red", registration number RF-94105, name "Ilya Muromets") during a flight with President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on board. Kazan, 02/22/2024">
Upgraded to the level of Tu-160M combat strategic bomber with serial number 8-01 (tail number "06 red", registration number RF-94105, name "Ilya Muromets") during a flight with President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on board. Kazan, 02/22/2024 (c) PJSC United Aircraft Corporation
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