RUSSIAN
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ENGELS, SARATOV REGION, RUSSIA - October 20, 2019: Tupolev Tu-160M strategic bomber of russian air force at Engels air force base. Image: Shutterstock / Fasttailwind.
By placing the Tu-160s on the literal opposite end of Russia, Moscow is complicating their ability to conduct critical long-range strikes into Ukraine.
By placing the Tu-160s on the literal opposite end of Russia, Moscow is complicating their ability to conduct critical long-range strikes into Ukraine.
On June 1, Russia was caught unawares by the Ukrainians, who conducted a daring and destructive surprise attack upon Russia’s nuclear-capable long-range bomber force. Using drones hidden in what appeared to be civilian container trucks parked near airbases deep inside Russia, Ukrainian forces deployed drone swarms that damaged dozens of valuable bombers.
While the Ukrainian surprise attack was remarkable for its audacity and generated great buzz in the international press, it was not as destructive as Kyiv’s forces initially claimed. Still, Russia cannot rest on its laurels, considering that detecting and deterring similar surprise drone attacks deep inside Russia is as difficult today as it was when the Ukrainians conducted the original strike. To ensure their sensitive and hard-to-replace Tu-160 bombers—codenamed “Blackjack” by NATO—remain secure for the duration of the war, at least two Tu-160 Blackjacks have been redeployed to the Anadyr airfield in Russia’s Far East (RFE), only 310 miles from Alaska.
By removing the Tu-160 bombers so far from the Ukrainian front, the Russians are hoping to ensure that the Ukrainians are unable to target them again. Of course, as Dylan Malyasov of the popular industry publication Defence-Blog.com notes, by placing these Tu-160s so close to American territory, Moscow has also made these systems susceptible to “American surveillance networks and response infrastructure”—an interesting trade-off.
Understanding Russia’s Tu-160 Supersonic Bomber
Understanding Russia’s Tu-160 Supersonic Bomber
Tu-160s, like many of the long-range, nuclear-capable strategic bombers that Russia possesses, have been used increasingly to conduct long-range strikes against key targets in Ukraine. By placing the Tu-160s on the literal opposite end of Russia, Moscow is complicating their ability to conduct critical long-range strikes into Ukraine. The upkeep of the Tu-160s, their fuel requirements, and the munition needs of the birds to continue striking into Ukraine all the way from Anadyr are prohibitively costly.
The Tu-160s are now roughly more than 3,000 miles away from the frontlines of Ukraine.
A supersonic, variable-sweep wing strategic bomber originally developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s, it remains the largest and heaviest combat aircraft ever built—as well as the fastest bomber in use today. Indeed, its maximum speed is Mach 2.05 (or 1,380 miles per hour) while its cruising speed is usually at Mach 0.9 (597 mph). By contrast, America’s supersonic bomber, the B-1B Lancer, only reaches a top speed of around Mach 1.25 (900 miles per hour).
Tu-160s have a maximum range of 7,643 miles and a service ceiling of approximately 52,500 feet. Four Samara NK-32 afterburning turbofan engines, each producing 55,116 pounds of thrust (with afterburner), power this bird.
As for its payload, the Tu-160 carries up to 99,208 pounds of ordnance in two internal weapons bays. These weapons range from Kh-55SM/101/102/555 cruise missiles, a family of subsonic, long-range, nuclear-capable missiles. The Tu-160 also carries conventional Kh-15 short-range missiles, precision-guided bombs, or free-fall bombs. Tu-160s can carry modernized Russian weapons such as the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missile, or advanced Kh-101/102 stealth cruise missiles.
The birds possess an advanced electronic countermeasures (ECM) suite, radar warning receivers, and chaff/flare dispenser to ward off any missiles that may be fired at them.
The Importance of the Tu-160
The Importance of the Tu-160
Russia has a limited number of these birds, although Moscow is overseeing the rapid construction of the new ones— which they believe will be fully introduced into the Russian air force by the 2030s. The goal is to have 50 new airframes by that point. The first modernized Tu-160M flew in 2022, and deliveries are ongoing to replace older models.
The Tu-160 was developed by the Soviet Union as a counterweight to America’s iconic B-1 Lancer long-range strategic bomber. The Tu-160 has a storied history in service to the Soviet Union and now the Russian Federation. It makes sense that Moscow would want to add an additional layer of protection for the remaining Tu-160s in their fleet by moving them out of harm’s way.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase
Image: Shutterstock / Fasttailwind.
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