RUSSIA CONFIRMS MORE TU-160 BOMBERS b y V l ad i m i r K ar no zov J UN E 25 , 2 0 15 , 7: 3 7 A M H TTP: //WWW. A I N O N LI N E. CO M/AV I ATI O N - N EWS /D EFE N S E/2 0 1 5 - 0 6 - 2 5 /RU S S I A - CO N FI RMS - MO RE- TU - 1 6 0 - BO MBERS Russia will “eventually” produce 50 more Tu-160M swing-wing intercontine ntal supersonic bombers, sa id Russian air orce commander !en" #ictor $ondarev " “T%e supreme commander and t%e deense minister %ave made t%e decision to restart production,” %e continued" &pea'ing to t%e media, $ondarev said t%at 50 is t%e number re(uir ed to )ustiy t%e e*pense oreviving t%e line" +is remar's ollow t%oseodeense minister !en" &ergei &%oigu during %is recent inspection ot%e aan .ircrat /roduction rganiation ./2" . prototype ot%e Tu-160 made its maiden 3ig%t in 4ecember 11, and deliveries began in .pril 17" T%e type was in production at ./rom 18 t%roug% t%e early 10s, w%en unds dried up ollowing collapse ot%e &oviet 9nion" :n t%e new century t%e actory was able to complete only a couple onew aircrat, rom parts manuactured earlier" ;6 e*amples built, 16 Tu-160s remain active wit% t%e Russian air orce" T%ey are under going a mid-lie upgrade and moder niation program" T%i s e<ort will be complete in =01, according to $oris >ais%uler, director ot%e design center at ./" +e urt%er said t%at t%e ?rst p%ase ot%e program o@cially launc%ed in =01=2 %as been completed" T%e second p%ase, w%ic% runs t%roug% =01, calls or replacement o“almost all” t%e e*isting radio electroni c e(uipment in operational aircrat wit% new %ardware" 4uring t%is process, all non-Russian-made e(uipment t%at originated in t%e ormer &oviet republics, now independent states2 will be replaced wit% Russian substitutes" .s part ot%e Tu-160 revitaliation e<ort, RussiaAs 9nited Bngine Corp rewor'ed t%e bomberAs unetsov >;=engine it received a new gas generator2 and re-launc%ed production" .n initial batc% onewly built >;=s will be delivered to Mo4 late ne*t year"
Russia Confirms More Tu-160 Bombersby Vladimir Karnozov-June 25,
2015, 7:37
AMhttp://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2015-06-25/russia-confirms-more-tu-160-bombersRussia
will eventually produce 50 more Tu-160M swing-wing intercontinental
supersonic bombers, said Russian air force commander Gen. Victor
Bondarev. The supreme commander and the defense minister have made
the decision to restart production, he continued. Speaking to the
media, Bondarev said that 50 is the number required to justify the
expense of reviving theline.His remarks follow those of defense
minister Gen. Sergei Shoigu during his recent inspection of the
Kazan Aircraft Production Organization (KAPO).A prototype of the
Tu-160 made its maiden flight in December 1981, and deliveries
began in April 1987. The type was in production at KAPO from 1984
through the early 1990s, when funds dried up following collapse of
the Soviet Union. In the new century the factory was able to
complete only a couple of new aircraft, from parts
manufacturedearlier.Of 36 examples built, 16 Tu-160s remain active
with the Russian air force. They are undergoing a mid-life upgrade
and modernization program. This effort will be complete in 2019,
according to Boris Naishuler, director of the design center at
KAPO. He further said that the first phase of the program
(officially launched in 2012) has been completed. The second phase,
which runs through 2019, calls for replacement of almost all the
existing radio electronic equipment in operational aircraft with
new hardware. During this process, all non-Russian-made equipment
(that originated in the former Soviet republics, now independent
states) will be replaced with Russiansubstitutes.As part of the
Tu-160 revitalization effort, Russias United Engine Corp reworked
the bombers Kuznetsov NK32 engine (it received a new gas generator)
and re-launched production. An initial batch of newly built NK32s
will be delivered to MoD late nextyear.
