Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin flew a modernized Tu-160M strategic missile carrier, speaking positively about the car. This aircraft is an improved version of the Tu-160 White Swan bomber, the largest and most powerful supersonic aircraft with variable wing geometry in the history of military aviation.
The updated Tu-160M externally retained the grace of its predecessor, but in terms of technical characteristics and combat capabilities, it is a completely new machine created using digital technologies and other advanced developments. And the revival and modernization of the White Swan has become the largest event in the defense aircraft industry of modern Russia.
Tu-160: unattainable in everything
The Tu-160M is a highly modernized version of the Tu-160 strategic missile bomber. This unique military aircraft was developed in the 1970s and still remains unsurpassed on a global level.
The Tu-160 is leading in several categories at once. In addition to being the heaviest combat aircraft in history, it is also the world's largest aircraft with variable wing geometry and the largest military supersonic aircraft. The Tu-160 also holds a leading position in terms of speed among strategic strike aircraft in service.
And it is also one of the most beautiful and elegant aircraft in the world of military aviation, for which the pilots nicknamed it the "White Swan". Another reason for this name is the white reflective coating that protects the aircraft from the light radiation of nuclear explosions. By the way, according to tradition, in order to emphasize the value of each car, the "one hundred and sixties" are also given personal names, for example, "Valery Chkalov" or "Ilya Muromets".
A child of the Cold War
The development of this aircraft began during the period of the highest tension during the Cold War, when the USSR and the United States were in a nuclear standoff in the late 1960s. The main requirements for the new missile carrier were its versatility and ability for intercontinental flights. It was planned to equip the Tu-160 with long-range cruise missiles with nuclear warheads.
Work on the project started at the Myasishchev Design Bureau and the Sukhoi Design Bureau, but was later transferred to the Tupolev Design Bureau. A record number of collaborators participated in the development − about 800 organizations from all over the Union.
The Tu-160, which first took to the skies in 1981, was ahead of its closest competitor, the American B–1 Lancer bomber, in all major respects: it was faster, more powerful and had a longer flight range. The championship was confirmed by 44 world records, completed subsequently.
One of the key features of the Tu-160 was the integrated airframe layout with a variable geometry wing, which made it more versatile. With the wing consoles maximally open, the White Swan is able to take off from short runways for such equipment. And at altitude, the wing consoles can be pressed against the fuselage, which allows the aircraft to reach supersonic speeds. The Tu-160 wing has the ability to change the sweep from 20 to 65 °, which optimizes speed modes and saves fuel.
Another characteristic feature of the "White Swan" is the abundance of titanium in the construction, a lightweight and durable material. In particular, the center section of the aircraft is made of titanium. Unique welding techniques were introduced at the Kazan Aircraft Factory specifically to work on Tu-160 titanium parts. Also, a powerful NK−32 engine was developed for the new car at the Kuibyshev Engine Plant (today - ODK-Kuznetsov as part of Rostec).
The White Swan was mass-produced in Kazan. Today it is the S.P. Gorbunov Kazan Aviation Plant (KAZ), a branch of the Tupolev company. A total of 35 Tu-160 aircraft were produced before 2000, including two prototypes. Some of the missile carriers remaining after the collapse of the USSR in Ukraine were disposed of under a joint Ukrainian-American program. In the 2000s, Russian vehicles were upgraded and equipped with modern weapons.
The revival of the "White Swan"
In 2015, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced the launch of a project to revive the missile carrier. A lot of work was done to restore Soviet developments and modernize production in Kazan, which was actually stopped in the 1990s. In the same year 2015, the Tu-160 showed itself for the first time in a real combat situation in the Syrian Arab Republic.
About 200 enterprises, including all the leading aviation design bureaus, joined the work on the updated aircraft. Rostec enterprises, which form the backbone of the new cooperation, managed to fully restore the technological chain of production of all components in a short time, revive the technology of vacuum welding of titanium products, and resume production of airframe assemblies. During the reconstruction and re-equipment, the capacities of the S.P. Gorbunov KAZ have doubled. The key factor was the introduction of modern digital standards in the aircraft industry: more than 75 thousand drawings were digitized in 3D format, and a digital twin of the machine was created.
In fact, the revival of the White Swan has become the largest aviation production modernization program in modern Russia. In November 2017, a new Tu-160 missile carrier was assembled at the Kazan Aircraft Plant using the existing reserve to advance the development of Tu-160M aircraft production technologies. In January 2018, he made a demonstration flight, which was personally observed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. In February 2024, the head of state flew a highly modernized strategic missile carrier Tu-160M.
Tu-160M: new wings of the nuclear triad
Created more than 40 years ago by Soviet engineers, the Tu-160 retains significant potential for renewal and development.
In January 2022, the first newly manufactured Tu-160M missile carrier took off into the sky for the first time.
The Tu-160M has retained its "swan" appearance, but in fact it is a new machine created on a completely new technological base using digital technologies. 80% of the systems and equipment have been upgraded.
The aircraft received new engines − the NK-32 second series, which significantly increased the range of its combat use. Without refueling, the Tu-160M is capable of flying more than 12,000 km, including at least two hours at supersonic speed. The maximum speed of the missile carrier is over 2000 km / h, the combat load is more than 40 tons. According to these parameters, there is still no equivalent Tu-160M among the world's classmates. Thus, the updated "White Swan" can strike enemy targets almost anywhere in the world at the entire altitude range.
Today, the Tu-160M missile carriers are the most important element of the air component of the nuclear triad, the defense shield of our country. Further development of the program will allow the use of the "White Swan" for new types of weapons, including promising ones.