The Tupolev Tu-160 (Russian: Туполев Ту-160 «Белый лебедь», romanized: Belyy Lebed; meaning “White Swan”; NATO reporting name: Blackjack) is a heavy strategic bomber with variable-geometry wings, capable of supersonic speeds and carrying nuclear weapons. Developed in the 1970s by the Tupolev Design Bureau of the Soviet Union, the Tu-160 is notably large, measuring 54 meters in length—significantly longer than the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. Its wingspan reaches 56 meters when fully extended and retracts to 36 meters when swept back. Today, the aircraft is operated by the Long-Range Aviation branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
The Tu-160, which entered service in 1987, was the last strategic bomber designed for the Soviet Air Force. It was built for both conventional and nuclear missions. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, production was halted in 1992, and existing aircraft were divided between Russia and newly independent Ukraine. Russia received 13 Tu-160s, while Ukraine retained 19. After prolonged negotiations, eight of Ukraine’s aircraft were purchased by Russia, and the remaining 11 were dismantled under the Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program in the late 1990s. As a result, by 2022, the Russian Aerospace Forces’ Long-Range Aviation Command became the sole operator, with a fleet of 17 aircraft.
The Tu-160 saw combat use for the first time in November 2015 during Russia’s military intervention in the Syrian Civil War, launching Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles in several strikes. The bomber has also participated in long-range overseas deployments to countries such as Venezuela and South Africa.
Since the early 2000s, the Tu-160 fleet has undergone modernization programs focusing primarily on electronic systems. A comprehensive upgrade project was launched to bring existing aircraft up to the Tu-160M standard and to build new units. The first modernized aircraft was delivered in December 2014. In 2015, Russia officially announced plans to produce 50 new Tu-160M bombers and upgrade 16 existing aircraft. The new bombers are reported to feature more advanced weapons, engines, and avionics than the original design. In January 2022, the first newly built Tu-160M conducted its maiden flight, with two of the ten ordered aircraft scheduled for delivery that year.
Specifications
- Crew: 4
- Length: 54.1 m
- Height: 13.10 m
- Wingspan: 35.60 m
- Weight: 275,000 kg
- Service Ceiling: 14,700 m
- Speed: Mach 2.05
- Engines: 4 × Samara/Trud NK-321 turbofan
- Thrust per Engine: 137 kN
- Range: 15,000 km
Armament
- 24 × Kh-15
- 12 × Kh-101
- 12 × Kh-55
Comparable Aircraft
- Rockwell B-1 Lancer
