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The Tupolev Tu-160 (NATO reporting name 'Blackjack') is a supersonic, swing-wing heavy bomber designed in the Soviet Union. It was the last Soviet strategic bomber design, and the heaviest combat aircraft ever built. Small numbers remain in service in Russia.
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In 1973 the Soviet Union launched a multi-mission bomber competition to create a new supersonic, swing-wing heavy bomber in response to the U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber project. The Tupolev design, dubbed 'Aircraft 70' and incorporating some elements of the Tupolev Tu-144, was the OKB's entry in the competition, which also included the Myasishchev M-18 and a Sukhoi design. The Myasishchev version was considered to be the most successful, although the Tupolev organization was regarded as having the greatest potential for completing this complex project. Consequently, Tupolev was assigned to develop an aircraft using elements of the Myasishchev design.
Although the B-1A was cancelled in 1977, work on the new Soviet bomber continued. The prototype was spotted by a U.S. reconnaissance satellite in November 1981, about a month before the aircraft's first flight on 19 December 1981. Although one aircraft was lost in flight testing, production was authorized, beginning at Kazan Aviation Association in 1984. Production of the aircraft, designated Tu-160, was originally intended to total 100 aircraft, although only 36 had been produced when production ended in 1992.
Squadron deployments to Long Range Aviation began in May 1987. Until 1991 19 of those aircraft served the 184th regiment of DA in Ukraine. After the fall of the Soviet Union those aircraft became Ukrainian property, although in 1999 a deal between Russia and Ukraine led to at least eight of those aircraft being returned to Russia in exchange for a reduction in Ukraine's energy debts. Ukraine, which has officially renounced nuclear weapons, has destroyed the other 'Blackjacks' in its possession, except for one airframe retained for static display.
There are currently 15 Tu-160s in service, with another new-built aircraft either complete or nearing completion at the Kazan Aircraft Plant.
The Tu-160 bears a strong resemblance to the North American B-1B Lancer, although it is significantly larger and faster.
The 'Blackjack' has a similar blended wing profile and variable-geometry wings, with sweep ranging from 20° to 65°. Full-span slats are used on the leading edges, with double-slotted flaps on the trailing edges. The Tu-160 has a fly-by-wire control system.
It is powered by four NK-32 afterburning turbofan engines, the most powerful ever fitted to a combat aircraft. Unlike the B-1B, which abandoned the Mach 2+ requirement of the original B-1A, it retains variable intakes, and is capable of slightly over Mach 2 at altitude.
The Tu-160 has a maximum fuel capacity of 130 tons, giving it a flight endurance of around 15 hours. It has a probe and drogue in-flight refueling system for extended-range missions.
Although the Tu-160 was designed to reduce its detectability to both radar and infrared, it is not a stealth aircraft, and has a higher radar cross section (RCS) than the B-1B. The 'Blackjack' (NATO 'Clam Pipe') attack radar in slightly upturned dielectric radome, plus a separate 'Sopka' terrain-following radar, which provides fully automatic terrain-following flight at low level. The Tu-160 has an electro-optical bombsight, and comprehensive active and passive ECM systems.
The Tu-160 has a crew of four (pilot, co-pilot, weapons systems officer, defensive systems operator) in K-36DM ejection seats. The pilot has a fighter-style control stick, but controls are traditional dials. There is no HUD, nor are CRT multi-function displays provided. A crew rest area, a toilet, and a galley are provided for long flights.
Weapons are carried in two internal bays, each capable of holding 20,000 kg (44,400 lb) of free-fall weapons or a rotary launcher for nuclear missiles. No defensive weapons are provided, making it the first unarmed post-World War II Soviet bomber.
A demilitarized, commercial version of the 'Blackjack,' dubbed Tu-160KS, was displayed at an air show in Singapore in 1994 carrying a model of the Russian Buran space shuttle. In 1995 Tupolev announced a partnership with the German firm OHB-System to produce the aircraft as a carrier for the launch vehicle, but the German government subsequently withdrew funding in 1998. Development reportedly continues, although funding in the CIS is scarce.
Several other variants have been proposed, but not built, including:
General characteristics
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