In 2025, Russia’s strategic aviation will receive four modernised Tu-160M missile carriers. This was announced by Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov on December 16, speaking at the final board of the department.
‘Next year we will continue rearming the Strategic Missile Forces with the Yars missile system. We will accept four Tu-160M strategic missile carriers into the Air Strategic Forces. We will ensure the inclusion of the strategic missile submarine Prince Pozharsky in the Navy,’ Andrei Belousov said.
Modernisation of the Tu-160M includes upgrading of onboard radio-electronic equipment and engines. Improvements are aimed at increasing combat effectiveness, expanding the range of tasks and improving reliability. The detailed specification of the upgrades has not been published, but from open sources it is known that the range has increased by 2,000 km, the maximum takeoff weight of the missile carrier is 275 tonnes, and the combat load is 45 tonnes.
Tu-160M can carry in 2 drum launchers in the bomb bay no less than 12 cruise missiles X-55 with a launch range of 3000 km. Also included in the armament are corrective bombs, including in special equipment. Experts in the field of armaments assume that the Tu-160M is capable of carrying up to 24 cruise missiles in launchers drum or revolver type such as X-555, X-101, X-15 and X-55.
On 23 February 2024, in a congratulatory message on the occasion of Defender of the Fatherland Day, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that ‘just the other day in Kazan in the Armed Forces transferred four missile carriers Tu-160M’. A few days earlier, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said at an enlarged meeting of the Ministry’s board that ‘the delivery of four Tu-160M strategic missile carriers to the aviation strategic nuclear forces is being completed’.
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...