Aviapedia

Tu-160 will enter service

In the end of last year 2005, Vladimir Putin signed up the decree to enter service Tu-160, unique strategic aviation complex. Tu-160 “Blackjack” for its color and graceful shape got nickname - “White swan”. The most powerfull Russian bomber was created in the beginning of 80th and became the backbone of strategical nuclear deterrent forces. During the 18 years it was in attempted operations. It means all the pilots of this plane were set down as test-pilots. Among them were Vladimir Putin and Minister of Defence Vladimir Ivanov, who performed a flight on “White swan”.

- We were paid only for development and engineering works and other activities, related to the guranteed usage period extension, - said “Tupolev” company president and chief designer Igor Shevchuk before the Vladimir Putin take-off on Tu-160 for the North Fleet maneuvers in august 2005. - And we do hope strongly after state head will come back from this flight, the question of Tu-160 to enter regular service will be solved.

Vladimir Putin kept his promise. In the end of last year he signed up the decree to take Tu-160 on service in strategical aviation. During these 18 years in Russian Airforces were replaced 3 сommanders-in-chief. It were produced 36 aircrafts, 14 of them left in Russia after USSR breakdown. All of them today belong to the Engels airbase, Saratov.

About Tu-160 unicity are speaking both Russian and American experts. And this fact is beeing discussed not only in terms of the 1981 - the creation year, but for the present time too. Tu-160 has set up 44 world records. The aircraft’s fuselage is made of aluminium alloy with titanium inclusions. “White swan” has variable sweep wing, it goes from 20 to 65 degress which gives plane possibility to fly both in upper atmosphere (crew has suits similar to the spacemen’s) on the speeds twice of the soundspeed and on low-level with ultra-low speeds, which is theoretically impossible for such big and heavy aircrafts. Plane is equipped with in-flight refueling system. Aiming-navigation complex guarantee automatic flight and operational use at any time of day and weather conditions. The plane control system equipped with electrical fly-by-wire system - instead of usual control wheel there is control control stick, like a joystick. It was already implemented in 80th! The number of digital onboard processors exceeds one hundred.

Bomber’s payload is 45 tons - long-range cruise missiles X-55 with nuclear warhead. Last year Vladimir Putin attended a final phase of new high-accuracy long-range cruise missile X-555 testings. This missile in distinction from previous version, may carry non-nuclear warhead and exactly hit a target on more then 2,5 thousands of kilometers distance.

- This plane represents extremely high-tech level, - tells “Tupolev” company general director Alexandr Zatuchniy. - This is exactly why we weren’t able to put it into service. Military representatives all the time requested to test newly appearing systems. This process continues and today, actually.

The only thing that left unmentioned is creative team, who worked hardly on the bomber creation all this time. As “Tupolev” company staff complains, the Tu-160 entering service event wasn’t evaluated by the state. President’s decree didn’t note any rewards, as it was done in USSR.

By the words of Strategic Air Force Chief Igor Hvorov, this year Air Forces will receive first of two new Tu-160 bombers, which were upgraded especially for the bombardment usage. This will make possible to use bomber for the anti-terrorist operations. All the built-in potential of this aircraft will allow to use it up to the year 2050, maybe even more - there is nothing in the world comparable to this plane today and experts thinks may not to appear at all in near future.