Tu-160: what can the largest bomber in the world

Weapons 08/03/20 Public domainТу-160: what can the largest bomber in the world

Russia is one of three countries that has a nuclear triad. This concept implies that the state has the capacity to launch a nuclear strike from land, air and water. In addition to us weapons systems have only the US and China.

From the earth, our security provides Intercontinental ballistic missile “Voevoda” which soon will be replaced by a more powerful missile “Sarmat”, on water and under water duty are missile ships of the project “Cheetah” nuclear submarines “Borey” project, and from heaven our homeland covers supersonic strategic bomber-missile carrier Tu-160 “White Swan”. About it will talk today.

arms Race

the development of Soviet strategic missile flying began in the 70-ies of XX century. The reason for its creation were the reports of Soviet intelligence that the Americans started the development of a strategic bomber b-1 “Lancer”. This news greatly alarmed the Soviet leadership and the military budget was immediately allocated for the development of this class of machines we have.

the General Secretary in those days was Nikita Khrushchev who gave the task to develop two design bureaus(KB) – Sukhoi and Myasishchev. Tupolev design Bureau in the development was not involved, as in the time was in conflict with Nikita Sergeyevich – he previously hacked several projects oldest KB, which aroused criticism of his leadership. However, after submission of design sketches and models for both KB, you get them handed back for revision Tupolev. Based on the project Myasishchev M-18, Tupolev began work on him and soon was born the “White Swan”.

Faster, higher, stronger

the Tu-160 is a jet bomber bomber with variable sweep wing. The machine was unique: it is the largest and the most powerful military aircraft with variable geometry wings in the world. Also it is the fastest bomber of all who are in service. In addition, it has the largest take-off weight, i.e. it can carry a greater bomb load than their foreign counterparts.

To make things clearer, let’s look at the numbers and compare the characteristics of the “White Swan” with its main competitor – American jet bomber b-1B “Lancer”. If you look at these planes, we can see that they have many similarities – they both have similar contours of the fuselage, variable sweep wing and engine arrangement. But the eye catches the obvious larger size “Swan”: long of 54.1 meters and a height of 13.1 meters, almost 10 meters longer and 3 meters above the American.

the power of the engines of the Tu-160 allows at high altitudes to speeds up to 2200 km/h or 2.08 M (Swoop in aviation called the speed of sound, which is approximately 1200 km/h, but depends on the state of air). The maximum speed of the dollar – only 1.2 M. Combat load (the amount of ammunition it can carry the plane) our – 45 tons, and the b-1B – 34 tons in the rear bomb Bay and 22 tons on pylons under the wings.

it would Seem that the American wins, but it is not. The fact that foreign designers failed to properly design the rear bomb Bay and he was not suited for combat missions. When loading bombs on pylons under the wings, for a moment, more than 10 tons each, flying qualities of an aircraft plummeting.

Combat radius of the Tu-160 is 7600 kilometres is the distance that it covers from the point of basing. The maximum range is 14 thousand kilometers. The b-1B has combat radius 5543 kilometers and a maximum range of 13500 km. Given that the distance from Moscow to Washington via the Arctic is only 6750 km, these figures speak for themselves.

By the way, American flies a few kilometers above and more atsposable to maneuvering near the ground. But “Swan” is a problem there, since it carries cruise missiles (Kh-55, which after running themselves flying 2,500 miles) and maneuver at the Earth’s surface it makes no sense.

a Rare bird

And now about the sad. In service with Russia is only 16 of these machines. This deficit occurred because of the reduction of armaments in the period before the collapse of the USSR led to the fact that each plane has its own name. American counterparts in the ranks is at least 61.

related to this is another remarkable story. When occurred the collapse of the USSR, on the territory of Ukraine there were 19 such machines, and in the working condition of them was only 6. Given the economic situation of the new state, maintain, and service these machines had no chance. Even for a single training flight is required to fill in the car about 40 tons of fuel.

Russia has offered to buy them for 3 billion dollars, however, the Ukrainians refused, arguing that this is not enough, and asked for $ 8 billion. Russia has not agreed to such terms. When Ukraine signed a contract with the U.S. Department of defense, which committed American money to dispose of the aircraft at a price of $ 1 million per unit. Later USA tried to buy three Tu-160 from Ukraine, but Russia had opposed the deal and agreed to write off debts for gas in the amount of 285 million dollars for the remaining aircraft. In the end, the fleet of the Russian Federation was supplemented with 8 “White swans”.

the Icing on the cake in this situation was the fact that Naftogaz, where the money was transferred, and did not want to transfer them to the Ministry of defense of Ukraine, and the office was able to obtain funds only after a series of ships, and even then not in full.

the Revival of the Swan

After the collapse of the Soviet Union the production of these aircraft was suspended. A production line was abroad, and the technology was lost. But over the years Russia has regained its power and was finally able to re-master the art POPsDenmark these unique machines.

In 2015, the Russian defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the need to resume the production of Tu-160, and in 2017 at the Kazan aviation plant has completely restored the production technology of these aircraft and commenced their production. In the next few years it is planned to build and put on combat duty to 50 such aircraft.

Vasily Khodarev

Source:
© Russian Seven

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