The Tu-160 aircraft, though not labeled obsolete, began its flight history in 1981 and entered Russian Air Force operation in 1987. This variable sweep wing strategic missile carrier and bomber stands as the largest and fastest aircraft in its class, with capabilities that set it apart. In the Tu-160M2 upgrade, the Russian Aerospace Forces anticipate a completely new airframe that retains only a distant external kinship with its forebears. Russia is expanding its Tu-160 fleet, a development viewed by NATO observers as a potential strategic shift.
The Russian Air Force currently operates 17 Tu-160 strategic bombers. Pilots nickname the aircraft White Swan. A second life began with a deep modernization to the Tu-160M2 standard, conducted at the Kazan Aviation Plant. The updated aircraft is valued at about 16 billion rubles, and seven units have been procured so far. New orders from the Ministry of Defense have been announced, though official quantities have not been disclosed.
Experts from Jane’s Information Group, a prominent British military publisher and think tank, have suggested that Russia plans to enlarge the Tu-160 program by adding around 50 more aircraft, broadening this strategic fleet.
Military analyst Vladislav Shurygin emphasized that modernization and continued construction of the Tu-160 heavyweights respond to several conditions. He noted that the aircraft is time-tested and will remain in service for many years in an updated form. There is also an established production line, which supports ongoing manufacturing of new aircraft. Finally, the PAK DA program, the Prospective Aviation Complex of Long-Range Aviation, is not yet finalized and is expected to appear before 2025.
Shurygin warned that delaying production of newly modernized Tu-160s could leave Russia without a capable strategic bomber in the near future. He contrasted Tu-160 with Tu-95, which remains in service but is aging, and with Tu-22, a lighter platform limited in payload capacity. Given the current circumstances, using the Tu-160 path was deemed more practical than awaiting PAK DA, according to Shurygin.
The modernization of the Tu-160M2 addresses the trend toward advanced payloads and electronics, including the integration of new weaponry such as ultra-long-range Kh-BD missiles capable of delivering a warhead beyond 3,000 kilometers. The program also foresees updated electronic systems and onboard equipment to enhance overall performance.
Officials describe the Tu-160M2 as featuring integrated modular avionics, advanced computing and onboard systems, an updated control framework, a suspended inertial navigation system, an electronic warfare suite, and a new weapon control architecture. The decision to produce the upgraded Tu-160M2 was made to create a transitional yet modern strategic missile carrier that bridges current needs with future capabilities.
In late 2021, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, who later led Roskosmos, stated that the improved Tu-160s would be built around a largely new component set and would receive NK-32 engines produced by Perm’s UEC. The Tu-160 bombers are expected to remain a powerful component of Russia’s nuclear deterrent in the near term, driven by supersonic speeds and rapid missile strikes. These aircraft can reach distant targets without penetrating deep into enemy air defenses, and the updated fleet is intended to occupy a central role in potential conflict scenarios. The ongoing development of new Tu-160 airframes is viewed as filling a critical niche in aviation capabilities during a period of heightened strategic tension.