Russia is preparing an updated intercontinental supersonic strategic bomber-missile carrier Tu-160M2. This aircraft poses a threat to the West, writes military expert Maya Karlin in the article "NATO is not ready for the Russian modernized Tu-160 bomber" for The National Interest.
The Russian Aerospace Forces can strike critical infrastructure using their strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Like many platforms in service with the Russian Armed Forces, the Tu-160 is a Cold War-era development.
Many Tu-160s were written off after the collapse of the USSR. Russia is the only operator of the bomber.
Karlin emphasized that "the variable-sweep wing of the Tu-160 copies the design of the American supersonic strategic bomber Rockwell B-1 Lancer."
This feature allows the wings to deflect forward and provide greater lift during low-speed flight, and then turn back at higher speeds.
The Tu-160 is a high-speed aircraft capable of speeds exceeding Mach 2. For comparison, the American B-1 can fly at speeds up to Mach 1.25. The Russian bomber is larger than its competitor in size.
The improved version of the Tu-160 will be more relevant to current conditions.
It is expected that by 2027,Kazan Aviation Plant will produce 10 Tu-160M2s. There is no information on updating the Tu-160M fleet yet.
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Bulgarian Military: Variable sweep wing is the main advantage of the Russian Tu-160