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Topic: AircraftBlog Brand: The BuzzRegion: EurasiaTags: Bomber Aircraft, Russia, Russian Air Force, Tu-160, and Ukraine WarRussia’s Powerful Tu-160M Bomber Goes Into Mass Production April 23, 2025By: Brandon J. WeichertShareShare this link on FacebookShare this page on X (Twitter)Share this link on LinkedInEmail a link to this pageOnce the Tu-160M is produced more widely, it will have an outsized impact on the outcome of the Ukraine War, as Ukraine lacks any effective countermeasures to its bombardments.Russia’s Tu-160M supersonic bomber, an upgrade of the original so-called “White Swan,” mighty Soviet-era Tu-160 long-range strategic bomber, has just been given the greenlight by Moscow for mass production.
And this couldn’t come soon enough for the Russians, who are in an existential fight with NATO-backed Ukraine.Even though the Trump administration has declared its commitment to a peaceful resolution to the horrific war, that peace seems out of reach for the time being. Moscow, like Kyiv, cannot simply take the sweet words of Western leaders for granted—and both sides appear willing to continue the war to achieve their aims.
Thus, Russia’s war economy has become an attenuated machine. Before the war began, the Russian defense industrial base was corrupt and inefficient. Today, that industrial base is likely still corrupt to some degree, but it has become much more efficient.
This is especially so when compared with NATO’s defense industrial base—as acknowledged by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who criticized the organization’s inefficiencies as recently as February.The Tu-160 “White Swan” Bomber Over UkraineIn the Ukraine War, the greatest weapons that have proven the most effective in combat have been unmanned systems, anti-tank weapons, and long-range bombers that can sit just outside of visual range and unleash devastation on the enemy without much risk to the attacking aircraft. Initially, Russia’s mighty Tu-160 long-range strategic bombers were used sparingly, due to their relatively low numbers.
But within the last year, they started operating more alongside the Tu-95 bombers in strikes against Ukrainian targets.The Tu-160 has proven key to this last part of beyond-visual-range warfare. This plane, along with the Tu-95, is a missile truck that dumps its loadouts onto Ukrainian targets, overwhelming whatever defenses are there.
Russia had been reliant on the original versions, the Tu-160, but had long wanted to upgrade their fleet because of the strategic benefits these platforms conferred upon the Russians.The Tu-160M standard includes all new avionics, NK-32 series engines, and advanced weapons systems, such as the Kh-101/102 cruise missiles and Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. Production of the newer Tu-160Ms resumed in 2015, with plans for both modernization of existing Tu-160 airframes to this more advanced standard as well as the construction of new airframes.
The Ukraine War has ensured that Russia’s industrial base has no choice to fulfill this decade-old ambition.Russia Could Export the Tu-160M Jet After the WarOnce the Tu-160M is produced more widely, it will have an outsized impact on the outcome of the Ukraine War, as Ukraine lacks any effective countermeasures to its bombardments. What’s more, Moscow has offered the Tu-160M to India to bolster its strategic air capabilities—though India is reticent because of the high maintenance costs and New Delhi’s strategic shift to focusing on fighters rather than bombers.
As an important aside, though, the Tu-160s, while formidable, is not stealthy. This is one reason why the Russians kept these bombers back in the first part of the war. Moscow had hoped for their PAK DA “Poslannik” long-range stealth stealth bomber to be ready for the war in Ukraine—but that bomber is not slated for production until at least 2028, meaning that Russia must make do with the military it has, not the military it wishes it had.
Hence, why the Russians are celebrating the fact that the Tu-160M is now moving to mass production. It will provide a necessary stopgap until the PAK DA is prepared. Of course, by the time the PAK DA does go into production, the Ukraine War will very likely be over.
About the Author: Brandon J. WeichertBrandon 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 wherever books are sold.
He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.Image: Shutterstock / Fasttailwind.The post Russia’s Powerful Tu-160M Bomber Goes Into Mass Production appeared first on The National Interest.
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