It was revealed in late 2020 that the new Tu-160M a deep modernization of the original Tu-160 had already undertaken its maiden flight, suggesting that the aircraft is further along in the research and development cycle than previously anticipated.
The bomber is armed with cruise missiles and will serve long into the future.
The modernized Tu-160M strategic bomber is on the verge of entering service in Russia’s Air Force, bringing a slew of practical updates to the established Tu-160 “Blackjack” design formula.
The 1980’s Tu-160 Blackjack set no shortage of design records over the course of its storied career, earning the monikers of fastest, largest, and heaviest bomber all at once. But the past four decades have taken their toll on the Soviet-era bomber, which is increasingly showing its age in the avionics department as well as in several performance categories.