More than a decade after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans to revive production of the Tu-160 strategic bomber, Russia says it has rebuilt the industrial base needed to manufacture the aircraft.
Tupolev CEO Yuri Abrosimov confirmed the development in an October 15 interview, marking a significant step toward restarting production of the Soviet-era supersonic bomber, one of Russia’s most prominent strategic missile carriers
The head of Russia’s Aerospace and defense company said that under the new program, the bomber’s appearance and variable-geometry wing configuration will be retained. Its variable-sweep wings can be adjusted between 20 and 65 degrees, allowing the bomber to operate efficiently at lower speeds and during supersonic flight.
Modernizing the Soviet-era bomber
The planned modifications are focused on modernizing 80 percent of the aircraft’s systems and equipment. Abrosimov said that the modernized version of the aircraft, the Tu-160M, is “built on an entirely new technological foundation, incorporating digital technologies, with 80 percent of its systems and equipment modernized.”
This would be in contrast to the manufacturing of the original Tu-160 that was built using an older Soviet-era manufacturing system.
He further noted that instead of a complete overhaul of the design, individual components, such as radar, navigation equipment, communications systems, or weapons-control computers, can be upgraded separately.
These proposed changes will include a new NK-32-02 (NK-32 Series 02) engines, complete upgradation of avionics, aircraft- and weapons-control systems, navigation equipment, and onboard radio-electronic systems.
The programme also introduced a shared digital environment linking aircraft design and manufacturing. Sukhoi, Mikoyan and Ilyushin design bureaux helped prepare digital documentation, while United Aircraft Corporation enterprises now operate within a common information system that enables engineering changes to be incorporated into production more quickly.
Abrosimov said resuming serial production would strengthen Russia’s technological independence and support the long-term development of its Long-Range Aviation fleet and the airborne component of the country’s nuclear triad.
Reviving Soviet-era bomber production
He, however, noted that rebuilding the industrial and technological framework needed to manufacture the aircraft again was the major hurdle for the Russian Space and Defense company.
The programme required restoring links with suppliers of raw materials and semi-finished products, rebuilding production chains for key aircraft assemblies, upgrading factory workshops and flight-test facilities, and installing specialised equipment for electron-beam welding and vacuum annealing of titanium components.
He described the first flight of an all-new Tu-160M in January 2022 as the programme’s defining milestone and said the project paired younger engineers with experienced Soviet-era specialists to transfer manufacturing expertise.
“It is a test of the strength of our entire engineering and manufacturing tradition, which we passed successfully,” Abrosimov said.
The older model, Tu-160 was developed by the Soviet Union nearly five decades ago to counter the U.S. Strategic bombers. The aircraft entered service in 1987 and was nick-named, the ‘White Swan.’ To this day, it remains one of the world’s largest and fastest operational bomber, capable of carrying long-range conventional and nuclear cruise missiles over intercontinental distances.