Supersonic aviation applied to military purposes has not been limited to the development of fighters, but also to its implementation in other types of aircraft. Even those of great size, such as heavy bombers. It is true that we are talking about much more specific cases within the arms industry, but they exist. One of the most iconic is the Tupolev Tu-160the Soviet “White Swan” that continues in service to this day.
The idea behind this supersonic bomber arose in the sixties, in the middle of the Cold War. At that time, the need to have an aircraft that could carry a large amount of weapons, travel very long distances to attack high-value targets, and do so at a speed much higher than that of any modern interceptor, seemed to be a priority for the two major powers of the time. The United States and the Soviet Union were convinced that a nuclear war was imminentand they didn’t want to be caught off guard.
The Americans had taken the lead in developing the North American B-70 Valkyrie, a supersonic nuclear bomber, since the late 1950s. However, its usefulness was called into question with the advent of surface-to-air missiles and intercontinental ballistic missiles. Thus, only two prototypes were produced – renamed XB70— capable of flying above Mach 3, whose use was limited to tests by the United States Air Force and NASA. Only one unit survived, the other having been destroyed in a fatal accident during a photographic production with other aircraft.
The Americans did not completely abandon the idea of a supersonic bomber, since the project later evolved into the Rockwell B-1 Lancer, whose development was plagued by setbacks and twists and turns, especially for political reasons. It was in this context that the Soviet Union began working on what ultimately turned out to be the Tupolev Tu-160, a machine that continues to draw attention today not only for its aesthetics similar to that of the Concorde, but also for its impressive flight and weapon capabilities.
Tupolev Tu-160, an impressive supersonic bomber
Although the option of developing a Soviet supersonic bomber began to be explored in the 1960s, it was only launched in 1972. The Soviet Union launched a competition in which it commissioned three design bureaus—Sukhoi, Myasishchev, and Tupolev—to submit projects for a new heavy bomber. The initial instructions were very specific: that it was capable of flying at Mach 2.3 (+2,800 kilometers per hour) and that it used variable geometry wings.
Tupolev’s initiative was chosen by the authorities, who gave the go-ahead for the development of the Tu-160 to begin. The similarity with the Tu-144, the Soviet version of the Concorde, is not accidental. The manufacturer chose to take advantage of much of what was learned during the development of the supersonic commercial aircraft to apply it in the creation of this new military aircraft.
The Tupolev Tu-160 only flew for the first time in 1981, seven years after the initial flight of the B-1 Lancer. However, the American project was canceled during the presidency of Jimmy Carter and was reactivated in the eighties with the arrival of Ronald Reagan to the White House. This allowed the Soviets to catch up, beginning production of their supersonic bomber in 1984 and entering service in April 1987, just a year after its American counterpart.
a real beast
The Tupolev Tu-160 is 54.1 meters long and 13.1 meters high. Thanks to its variable geometry wings, its wingspan ranges from 35.6 to 55.7 meters, depending on whether they are completely closed or open, respectively.
The aircraft is powered by four turbofan engines. Kuznetsov NK-32 with afterburner system, capable of generating 55,000 pound-force of thrust each. This allows a maximum takeoff weight of 275,000 kilograms.
The Russian supersonic bomber can reach a maximum speed of Mach 2.05 and its flight ceiling is 16,000 meters high. The aircraft has been designed to carry up to 40,000 kilograms of cargo and has two internal bays for weapons. They can not only be used for unguided bombs, but are also equipped with nuclear-capable Kh-15 and Kh-55 missile launchers.
The autonomy of the Tupolev Tu-160 also it is very interesting. With a regular load of 9,000 kilograms, it can fly for 14,000 kilometers, while with the maximum of 40 tons, the autonomy is reduced to 10,500 kilometers. In any case, the aircraft has a system that allows it to refuel mid-flightavoiding having to make “strategic stops” to get more fuel.
Throughout its operational history, this impressive machine has claimed multiple records and accolades. Among so many, it is the largest variable geometry wing aircraft ever built and the fastest active bomber. But that’s not all, since so far it remains the largest and heaviest combat aircraft in the world.
Since its entry into service, the Tupolev Tu-160 has been nicknamed the “White Swan”. This is due to the decision to paint it “anti-glare white” (anti flash white), so that the fuselage is capable of reflecting part of the thermal radiation that could cause a nuclear explosion. This feature has not been exclusive to Soviet bombers, as the United States and the United Kingdom have also used it during the Cold War.
The purpose of the anti-flare target is to minimize the effects that a nuclear weapons attack could have on the aircraft and its crew.
Surviving the dissolution of the Soviet Union
Like so many other projects born within the Soviet Union, the production and use of the Tupolev Tu-160 suffered its dissolution. Serial production of the supersonic aircraft was halted in 1992, eight years after it began, when some 35 units had rolled off the production line. Simultaneously, it was decided to cancel all remote patrol activities in which they were used.
A striking fact is that, of the total number of aircraft produced, 19 remained on Ukrainian territory after the dissolution of the USSR. Ukraine took possession of them and used them to negotiate with Russia, which did not agree to pay the high amounts demanded of it. The push and pull for the machines continued throughout the 1990s, to the point that the Ukrainian government began the scrapping process stipulated by the Soviet Nuclear Threat Reduction Law of 1991.
However, Russian interest was revived in 1999. Thus, the parties reached an agreement whereby Ukraine agreed to sell eight units of the Tupolev Tu-160 to Russia, along with other aircraft and war material that had been “stranded” in Russia. its territory after the end of the Soviet Union. The settlement was for less than $300 million, which was deducted from Ukraine’s debt for the purchase of natural gas.
A truly ironic fact is that, over the years, Russia has used its Tupolev Tu-160 fleet against Ukraine. This has been seen especially during the war between the two countries that began at the end of last February. According to Ukrainian officials, the supersonic bomber has been used to carry out missile strikes from the Caspian and Black Sea regions.
The Tupolev Tu-160 has starred in several ‘close encounters’
Russian interest in the Tupolev Tu-160 has been renewed since 2007, during the second presidential term of Vladimir Putin. At that time, the return of long-range patrol missions was announced, which has already led the aircraft to have several “close encounters” with interceptors from other countries. That same year, it was escorted by fighters from Denmark, Norway, and the United Kingdom as it approached the airspaces of those countries during its missions.
In 2008, the supersonic bomber made its first visit to South America. To Venezuela, more specifically. Three Tupolev Tu-160s departed from Russia and flew over international waters of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans until reaching Venezuelan territory. During the journey they were escorted twice by NATO fighters, belonging to the air forces of Norway and the United States. The curious fact is that only two of the aircraft landed near Caracas, since the rest turned around and returned to Russian lands.
The Tupolev Tu-160 could fly until 2040 and Russia has an ambitious plan to expand its fleet of supersonic bombers. Existing units are already being modernized, while the manufacture of new versions has resumed in recent years.
Visits to the region were repeated in subsequent years. In 2013 they participated in naval exercises with Venezuela and Nicaragua, and in 2018 they reappeared flying through the Bolivarian sky. It is worth mentioning that during its second South American deployment, the presence of the Tupolev Tu-160 caused a complaint from Colombia. According to that country, two aircraft in the supersonic fleet entered its airspace on a couple of occasions without permission to do so. This forced the Colombian Air Force to escort them into international airspace.
Plenty of life ahead
Although the Tupolev Tu-160 is a young aircraft —it has not yet reached 35 years of operational life—, it is already underway the process to modernize it. All units that undergo the equipment optimization process are renamed the Tu-160M. In addition, new aircraft coming off the production line, considering that manufacturing resumed in 2015, are given the same designation.
This year Russia would add two new units to the fleet, but future intentions would be much more grandiose. It is said that the Kremlin’s plan is to incorporate a total of 50 new ships and add them to the 16 already existing. According to specialists, the Tupolev Tu-160 would be able to fly until at least 2040but it is not ruled out that this number could be extended much further if the planned deliveries are consistently met until 2030.