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| Russia's Largest Bomber Plane Returns to the Battlefield of Ukraine, Tu-160 Fires 18 Cruise Missiles |
Moscow - Russia officially confirmed that the world's largest Tu-160 Beliey Lebed (White Swan) bomber had joined the war in Ukraine on May 1, 2023. Russia deployed two Tu-160 bombers to attack Ukraine at 02.30 in the morning and fired 18 cruise missiles Kh-101/Kh-555.
The Tu-160 bombers joined the attack formation with nine Tu-95 Bear bombers. The 11 Russian bombers took off from two different points, nine Tu-95s from the Olenegorsk region (Murman region) and two Tu-160s from the Caspian Sea region.
Quoted from the Bulgarian Military website, this is the first documented participation of the world's largest and heaviest bomber in the war in Ukraine. The Air Force Command of Ukraine announced this on the official Telegram channel.
It is known that the Tu-160 bomber is capable of flying at Mach 2+. At the end of last year, satellite images revealed at least six Tu-160s "parked" at Engels Air Force Base, which is 14 km from Saratov, Russia.
Officially, Russia has between 30 and 36 obsolete Tu-160 bombers. The operational bomber of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) is a modernized version of the old Tu-160. One of them being tested in December 2022 will be the all-new Tu-160M bomber. The Tu-160 bomber was nicknamed the "White Swan" because of its distinctive white color and elegant design.
Caleb Larson, a writer for The National Interests, calls the Tu-160 the world's fastest, largest and heaviest bomber. The Tu-160 bomber is operated by a crew of six to seven and has an operational range of 7,200 km.
The Tu-160 has an empty weight of 37,200 kg, while its maximum take-off weight is 79,000 kg. In addition to cruise missiles, the Tu-160 bomber can launch anti-ship missiles at semi-hidden target points. The Tu-160 is also armed with several Afanasev Makarov AM-23 23 mm cannons. Russia claims the Tu-160M and Tu-160M2 are stealth bombers because they are coated with a new radiation absorber.
According to Russian media reports, the modified Tu-160M or M2 aircraft featured a new glass cockpit. Even with undisclosed engine capabilities, it provides a wider operational range. Plus, the bomber has an integrated defense system that warns of invading enemy missiles.