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Russia’s second Tu-160M strategic bomber sent to flight tests — source

The second aircraft has been sent to a flight test facility, while the third Tu-160M is being assembled

BANGALORE /India/, February 18. /TASS/. Russia’s second Tu-160M strategic bomber has been sent to a flight test facility, while the third one is currently being built, a source in Russia’s defense industry has told TASS.

"The first plane [of this series] has already performed several flights. The second aircraft has been sent to a flight test facility, while the third Tu-160M is being assembled," the source told TASS on the sidelines of the Aero India 2023 exhibition in Bangalore, India.

In late 2022, the first Tupolev Tu-160M strategic missile-carrying bomber built anew completed factory tests. During its test flight, the strategic bomber conducted maneuvers to check the aircraft’s stability and control in the air, the working capacity of its airborne systems and engines, and the onboard radio-electronic equipment.

Russia launched the program of restarting the production of upgraded Tu-160 strategic bombers in their Tu-160M configuration following a decision by President Vladimir Putin.

Under a state contract signed to implement the program, the Industry and Trade Ministry and the Tupolev Aircraft Company fully digitized the design documentation on the Tu-160M bomber within the shortest time possible, restored the titanium vacuum welding technology, restarted the production of the bomber’s airframe assemblies and set up a new cooperation chain of advanced metallurgical, aircraft-, machine-and instrument-building enterprises, with most of them integrated into the state tech corporation Rostec.

The Tu-160 is the world’s heaviest supersonic military aircraft with a variable-sweep wing to date.

The Tu-160 (NATO reporting name: Blackjack) is a Soviet and subsequently a Russian supersonic variable-sweep wing strategic missile-carrying bomber. Along with the Tu-95MS bombers, these planes are the mainstay of the Russian Aerospace Force’s long-range aviation. The Tu-160M is designated to strike enemy targets in remote areas with nuclear and conventional weapons.

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