Tu-160

Tu-160
Name	Tu-160
Caption	A Tu-160 in flight.
Type	Strategic bomber / Supersonic strategic airlift
National origin	Soviet Union
Manufacturer	Tupolev
Designer	Valentin Bliznyuk
First flight	18 December 1981
Introduction	1987
Status	In service
Primary user	Russian Aerospace Forces
Number built	36 (9 prototypes and pre-series)
Developed from	Tupolev Tu-144
Variants with their own articles	Tu-160M

Tu-160. The Tupolev Tu-160 is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing heavy strategic bomber designed by the Tupolev design bureau in the Soviet Union. Entering service with the Soviet Air Forces in 1987, it remains the largest and most powerful combat aircraft ever built, the fastest bomber in service, and the largest variable-geometry aircraft ever flown. Operated exclusively by the Russian Aerospace Forces following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the aircraft is a key component of Russia's nuclear triad and has seen combat use in conflicts such as the Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war.

Development and design

The development of the Tu-160 was initiated in the 1970s by the Tupolev design bureau under chief designer Valentin Bliznyuk in response to the United States Air Force's Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft program, which produced the Rockwell B-1 Lancer. The Soviet Ministry of Aircraft Industry required a multi-role supersonic strategic missile carrier capable of penetrating sophisticated NATO air defenses. The design borrowed aerodynamic features from the earlier Tupolev Tu-144 supersonic transport and the Myasishchev M-18 bomber proposal, incorporating a variable-sweep wing to optimize performance at both high and low speeds. Key partners in the program included the Kuznetsov Design Bureau, which developed the powerful Kuznetsov NK-32 afterburning turbofan engines, and the Raduga Design Bureau, responsible for its long-range Kh-55 and Kh-101 cruise missiles. The aircraft's primary structure utilizes significant amounts of titanium and aluminum alloy to withstand the thermal stresses of sustained supersonic flight.

Operational history

The first prototype, designated "70-01", conducted its maiden flight from Ramenskoye Airport on 18 December 1981, with test pilot Boris Veremey at the controls. The Tu-160 entered operational service with the 184th Guards Heavy Bomber Regiment at Pryluky Air Base in Ukrainian SSR in April 1987. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, 19 aircraft stationed in Ukraine became the subject of intense diplomatic negotiations under the Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program; most were eventually dismantled, while a small number were transferred to Russia to settle energy debts. The remaining Russian fleet, based at Engels-2 air base, was operated sparingly until a major modernization and reactivation program began in the early 21st century. The Tu-160 saw its first combat deployment during the Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war in 2015, launching Raduga Kh-101 cruise missiles against targets in Syria. These aircraft regularly participate in Russian strategic bomber patrols, conducting long-range missions over international waters near the borders of NATO members like the United Kingdom and Japan.

Variants

The primary baseline production model is simply known as the Tu-160. A significant modernized variant, the Tu-160M, features upgraded Kuznetsov NK-32-02 engines, completely new avionics, and modernized weapon control systems, with the first newly built example rolled out in January 2022. An earlier proposed variant was the Tu-160P, which was a concept for a very long-range interceptor aircraft armed with air-to-air missiles. Another projected model was the Tu-160PP, intended as an electronic warfare and stand-off jamming platform. The Tu-160K was a design study for a missile carrier component of the Kontakt air-launched anti-satellite weapon system. A single airframe was converted into the Tu-160SK, a commercial demonstrator intended to launch the Burlak launch vehicle for small satellites.

Operators

* Soviet Union – The Soviet Air Forces were the initial operator, with aircraft based in the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and Ukrainian SSR. * Russia – The Russian Aerospace Forces (formerly the Russian Air Force) operate the entire active fleet as part of the Long-Range Aviation command, headquartered at Engels-2 air base. * Ukraine – The Ukrainian Air Force inherited 19 aircraft from the Soviet Air Forces but never achieved operational status with them; all were subsequently destroyed under international treaty or transferred to Russia.

Specifications (Tu-160M)

General characteristics * Crew: 4 (pilot, co-pilot, offensive systems officer, defensive systems officer) * Length: 54.1 m (177 ft 6 in) * Wingspan: 55.7 m (182 ft 9 in) spread (20° sweep), 35.6 m (116 ft 10 in) swept (65° sweep) * Height: 13.1 m (43 ft 0 in) * Wing area: 400 m² (4,300 sq ft) spread, 360 m² (3,875 sq ft) swept * Empty weight: 110,000 kg (242,508 lb) * Gross weight: 267,600 kg (590,000 lb) * Max takeoff weight: 275,000 kg (606,271 lb) * Powerplant: 4 × Kuznetsov NK-32-02 afterburning turbofan engines, 245 kN (55,000 lbf) thrust each dry, 392 kN (88,000 lbf) with afterburner

Performance * Maximum speed: 2,220 km/h (1,380 mph, 1,200 kn) at 12,200 m (40,000 ft) * Maximum speed: Mach 2.05 * Cruise speed: 960 km/h (600 mph, 520 kn) * Range: 12,300 km (7,600 mi, 6,600 nmi) subsonic with internal fuel * Combat range: 2,000 km (1,200 mi, 1,100 nmi) at Mach 1.5 * Service ceiling: 16,000 m (52,000 ft) * Wing loading: 669 kg/m² (137 lb/sq ft) spread

Armament * Internal weapons bays: Two tandem bays in the fuselage * Missiles: Up to 12 × Kh-55SM/Kh-101/Kh-102 cruise missiles, or 24 × Kh-15 short-range nuclear missiles * Bombs: Can be configured to carry up to 40,000 kg (88,185 lb) of free-fall weapons, including FAB-250 and FAB-1500 general-purpose bombs.

Category:Strategic bombers of the Soviet Union Category:Variable-sweep-wing aircraft Category:Tupolev aircraft