Tu-160 "White Swan"

dino00 wrote:The Ministry of Defense received two missile carriers Tu-160 after modernization

MOSCOW, April 23 - RIA News. The Russian Ministry of Defense received two modernized strategic missile carrier Tu-160 , the military department told reporters.

"Specialists of the 264 military representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense at the Kazan Aviation Plant named after SP Gorbunov adopted two strategic missile carriers Tu-160" Ivan Yarygin "and" Vasily Reshetnikov, "the statement said.

It is noted that inertial navigation and engine control systems, as well as weapons devices using modern digital technologies, have been modernized on airplanes.

"The work will provide an improvement in the tactical and technical characteristics of aviation systems, which will increase the effectiveness of the combat use of
aviation weapons," the ministry said.

https://ria.ru/20200423/1570478814.html

dino00 wrote:The Ministry of Defense received two missile carriers Tu-160 after modernization

MOSCOW, April 23 - RIA News. The Russian Ministry of Defense received two modernized strategic missile carrier Tu-160 , the military department told reporters.

"Specialists of the 264 military representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense at the Kazan Aviation Plant named after SP Gorbunov adopted two strategic missile carriers Tu-160" Ivan Yarygin "and" Vasily Reshetnikov, "the statement said.

It is noted that inertial navigation and engine control systems, as well as weapons devices using modern digital technologies, have been modernized on airplanes.

"The work will provide an improvement in the tactical and technical characteristics of aviation systems, which will increase the effectiveness of the combat use of
aviation weapons," the ministry said.

https://ria.ru/20200423/1570478814.html

Is this the full TU-160 M2 spec?

Tsavo Lion wrote:

Is this the full TU-160 M2 spec?

No- if it was, the article would've mentioned it.

JohninMK wrote:
Quote Garry at post 776,

Tu-160M are modernised, Tu-160M2 are new build AFAIK.

From bmpd also:

Comment by bmpd. We are talking about the transfer of the Russian Aerospace Forces after repairs and limited modernization at the Kazan Aviation Plant named after SP Gorbunov (KAZ) of the Tu-160 combat strategic bombers with the names "Ivan Yarygin" (serial number 07-04, previously had tail number "04 red ") and "Vasily Reshetnikov" (serial number 07-02, previously had board number" 02 red") built in 1992-1993.

Both aircraft underwent a limited modernization according to a variant conditionally (and apparently incorrectly) designated in the media as “Tu-160M1”, and including, in particular, the installation of a new navigation system K-042K-1 and autopilot ABSU-200-1, while some old systems are being removed, such as the optical sighting bombing system. Also, presumably, a number of new weapons systems were integrated, including the ability to carry 12 new strategic X-101/X-102 cruise missiles deployed on two new 6A-9A829K3 revolving rotary launchers.

 The prototype of this upgrade option was the Tu-160 aircraft with the name “Valentin Bliznyuk” (serial number 02-02, tail number “19 red”), which was modernized at KAZ in 2006 (currently this aircraft is undergoing further modernization at KAZ according to the options Tu-160M).

  KAZ aircraft modernized "Andrey Tupolev" (serial number 06-05, tail number "18 red", was transferred back to the VKS in an updated configuration on December 19, 2014),
"Vasily Senko" (serial number 06-02, tail number "11 red", was returned to service in January 2016) and
"Nikolai Kuznetsov" (serial number 06-01, tail number "10 red", was returned to operation in November 2016).
In addition, apparently in this configuration the aircraft “Vitaliy Kopylov” (serial number 08-03, tail number "10 red", transferred to the VKS in April 2008) and "Peter Deinekin" (serial number 08-04, began flight tests in December 2017) were completed.

GarryB wrote:It is hard to keep track, there has been talk of upgrades to unify systems and engines and weapons since the 1990s, but new builds and completing two aircraft that were in the process of being built were not an option earlier because there was no way to build them.

The centre box structure is Ti, and needs to be wielded in a near vacuum.... which requires specific facilities that only existed in the Ukraine where they were originally made.

The decision to go ahead with the PAK DA which presumably also has large sections of Ti means they can make new Tu-160s as well.

Wielding large sections together is a good thing in terms of strength and also RCS because it eliminates visible joints from the radar return... which reduces the number of visible corners.

I suspect these new planes are likely just previously built models going through the upgrade process rather than new builds and that by the time they start serial production all the older model planes will be upgraded to this standard...

kvs wrote:

The new frames are made out of Aluminum.  There is no hang-up in their production.   Potentially there is some issue for the unfinished frames dating
back to the Soviet era.

mnztr wrote: In either case I hope they will tell us about some of the change and any of the compromises they make to bring production back on line.