Swan On 18 December, 1981 the #WhiteSwan first took to the skies - ever since the Tupolev #Tu160 have been soaring high.

Airplane Not only this supersonic, variable-sweep wing heavy strategic bomber is a gorgeous-looking plane & its nigh perfect design ensured longevity.
@UAC_Russia_eng

Tupolev Tu-160

Tu-160 Belyy Lebed



Tupolev Tu-160 Aleksandr Novikov in flight over Russia, May 2014

Role: Supersonic strategic heavy bomber
National origin: Soviet Union
Design group: Tupolev
Built by: Kazan Aircraft Production Association
First flight: 18 December 1981; 43 years ago
Introduction: April 1987
Status: In service
Primary users: Russian Aerospace Forces, Soviet Air Forces (historical), Ukrainian Air Force (historical)
Produced: 1984–1992, 2002, 2008, 2017, 2021–
Number built: 36 (9 test and 27 serial)

The Tupolev Tu-160 (Russian: Туполев Ту-160 Белый лебедь, romanized: Belyj Lebeď, lit. 'White Swan'; NATO reporting name: Blackjack) is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing heavy strategic bomber designed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the Soviet Union in the 1970s. It is the largest and heaviest Mach 2+ supersonic military aircraft ever built and second to the experimental XB-70 Valkyrie in overall length. As of 2022, it is the largest and heaviest combat aircraft, the fastest bomber in use and the largest and heaviest variable-sweep wing airplane ever flown.

Entering service in 1987, the Tu-160 was the last strategic bomber designed for the Soviet Union. As of 2016, the Russian Air Force's Long Range Aviation branch had 16 aircraft in service. The Tu-160 active fleet has been undergoing upgrades to electronics systems since the early 2000s. The Tu-160M modernization program of existing models has begun with the first updated aircraft delivered in December 2014. In January 2022 the first serial built aircraft had its test flight, with two planned for delivery in 2022 from 10 on order. Plans include 50 new Tu-160M bombers and upgrading 16 existing aircraft{.}

{snip}