In the 70s, the US Air Force had at its disposal the B-1 Lancer strategic bombers, the only Soviet competitor of which was then the Tu-22M. However, the Russian vehicle was inferior to the American in terms of range and combat load. The turboprop Tu-95, which was in service with the USSR, served as a counterweight to the American analogue of the B-52 and could not compete with the supersonic aircraft of the US Air Force.
In the 80s the situation changed forever. On December 18, 1981, the chassis of the most advanced strategic aviation vehicle, designated “70-01,” took off from the runway of the Ramenskoye airfield for the first time. Three years later, serial production of Tu-160 bombers was launched.
Photo: bastion-karpenko.ru
The new Soviet strategists eclipsed everyone, both strangers and their own. The B-1 aircraft were destined to accept defeat and leave leadership forever on the margins of history; the Tu-160 was superior to American aircraft in all respects. Of course, overseas “friends” were not satisfied with this state of affairs, and the Americans began to hastily catch up.
However, it didn’t work out. At the turn of the Soviet and Russian eras, a conditional competitor to the then Soviet “Tushki” took off - the B-2 “Spirit”, or in our language “Spirit”. The aircraft incorporated all the developments of the American defense industry in terms of stealth technologies that were ruling the roost in the West at that time, but how it was possible to make the next generation of the B-1 bomber, already inferior to the Tu-160, subsonic remains a mystery to this day.
Photo: US Air Force press service
However, this only plays into Russia’s hands. So the Americans pitted the most advanced strategic bomber of all time against the most expensive aircraft in the history of aviation. In terms of production costs, the F-22 fighters are just toys compared to the B-2 - the price of one aircraft with equipment is more than 2 billion dollars.
It is not surprising that the series of bombers turned out to be beyond the means of even the bottomless American budget - 21 aircraft were built in 11 years, production was closed in 1999. In Russia, 35 strategists were built - 27 serial and 8 prototypes, after which the project was frozen. In 2015, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu decided to resume the production of strategic bombers, and the new aircraft that the Aerospace Forces will receive in the future will have the M2 index.
As for the B-2, in modern conditions the bomber is unlikely to be helped by its fancy airframe stuffed with radio-absorbing materials. For modern Russian air defense systems today there is no “invisible” equipment, moreover, the “White Swans” have much longer arms due to the Kh-101 strategic cruise missiles, which can hit a target at a distance of 5,500 kilometers with a CEP of no more than 5 meters.
How long the Russian bomber will remain at the top in the field of strategic aviation is still unknown, one thing is obvious - it should be calculated not in years, but in decades. Taking into account the resumption of production and the latest modification, this is more than justified.
Strategic bombers were an indispensable attribute of the Cold War. During the confrontation between America and the USSR, winged vehicles played the role of carriers of nuclear weapons. Nowadays, aircraft of this type, as a rule, are given rather modest tasks. The American B-1B and its domestic counterpart, the Tu-160, have become weapons in the fight against terror.
Who is who
The Rockwell B-1 Lancer made its first flight back in 1974. Its Soviet counterpart first saw the sky a little later - in 1981. Conceptually, the bombers are very similar. Both aircraft have a variable sweep wing - a tribute to the aviation fashion of those years. The characteristics of the B-1A (the first modification of the Lancer) and the Tu-160 are also quite similar. However, the Americans launched another modification of the aircraft into mass production, designated B-1B.
The characteristics of the latter were strikingly different from the flight performance data of the Soviet machine. Contrary to popular belief, the Tu-160 is not a copy of the American aircraft, but it was developed under the great influence of the experience of overseas colleagues.
During the Cold War, both bombers served one single purpose - to destroy enemy territory with nuclear weapons. The B-1B could only use unguided bombs, while the Tu-160 carried X-55 cruise missiles.
Let's compare?
In the 90s, the US Air Force took a responsible approach to modernizing its aircraft fleet. Fortunately, funding made it possible. B-1B aircraft learned to use guided bombs and air-to-surface missiles. The US bomber can carry up to 24 AGM-158 cruise missiles, making it the most powerful tactical combat aircraft. The maximum weight of the combat load of the American “heavyweight” is 56 tons.
The maximum combat load of the Tu-160 is slightly less and is 45 tons. The Tu-160 cannot boast an equally wide arsenal of weapons and is only learning to use non-nuclear missiles. Soon it will have to receive the latest Kh-101 cruise missiles. The maximum flight range of such a missile is 5 thousand km. The Tu-160 also does not have an advanced sighting system (such as the Sniper XR), which means that searching for and destroying ground targets can be a very difficult task for the crew. However, the domestic machine has great potential for modernization - if there were appropriate funding and the desire of the country's leadership.
The Russian bomber carries nuclear weapons and is part of the so-called. "nuclear triad" of the Russian Federation. The Americans decided to abandon the B-1B as a carrier of nuclear charges, leaving it to solve tactical problems.
The Tu-160 is much faster than the Lancer. Its maximum speed reaches 2230 km/h, while the American aircraft can fly at a maximum speed of 1448 km/h. The cruising speed of the vehicles is comparable.
The maximum flight range is slightly higher for the domestic aircraft - 13,950 km for the Tu-160 versus 13,500 km for the B-1B. But the domestic bomber is much heavier than its American counterpart and, as a result, fuel consumption is much higher.
Military commentator Dave Majumdar decided to compare US and Russian strategic bombers. His material "Russian Tu-160 vs. American B-1: Who will win?" published in The National Interest.
The analyst notes that both aircraft are very similar both visually and in terms of their set of tasks.
The Rockwell International B-1B Lancer was originally designed as a high-altitude deep-invasion strategic aircraft. But after it became known in 1977 that the bomber, innovative at that time, was unable to overcome the new Soviet air defense systems, the program to create it was curtailed. Instead, President Carter's administration emphasized ballistic missiles and authorized the development of the aircraft that eventually became the Northrop Grumman B-2A Spirit stealth bomber.
Rockwell's design was revived as the B-1B under Ronald Reagan. The supersonic bomber was modified for a new mission - breaking through air defenses at low altitude through a combination of high speed, shielding of radar radiation using the terrain and a reduced effective scattering surface. The maximum speed of the B-1A exceeded Mach 2.0; in the B-1B, due to design changes, it barely reached Mach 1.25.
In 1995, the Lancer underwent modernization: after the end of the Cold War, it was no longer needed as a carrier of nuclear weapons, and other missions were assigned to it. The bomber was equipped with a radar with synthetic antenna aperture and equipped with the ability to carry high-precision weapons on board. After September 11, 2001, the B-1 was again improved, equipped with new detection equipment: the Sniper XR sighting system and a data link. This allowed the aircraft to more effectively perform missions during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As Majumdar notes, today the use of the B-1B in a well-defended environment is almost impossible. But the aircraft is still capable of performing complex missions, such as launching JASSM-ER and LRASM cruise missiles from a safe distance.
That is, in modern high-tech combat, its purpose may be similar to the Russian Tu-160. However, the reviewer writes, "Blackjack is a completely different plane."
The Soviet Union created this aircraft specifically as a means of delivering missiles with nuclear warheads, although it had the ability to overcome enemy air defense zones at low altitude. In addition, the Tu-160 is significantly larger and much faster than the B-1B, it has a maximum speed of more than Mach 2.05 with a maximum take-off weight of 275 thousand kilograms. For comparison, the B-1B weighs 216 thousand kilograms.
Blackjack's main armament has always been long-range cruise missiles of the X-55SM type. But during the operation in Syria, the aircraft used the conventional version of the Kh-555 cruise missiles, as well as the more modern and stealthy Kh-101 cruise missile. A variation of the latter - the X-102 missile - has a nuclear charge.
After the resumption of production, the improved modification of the Tu-160M2 will serve until the PAK DA missile-carrying bomber is put into service.
Thus, it is impossible to talk about which aircraft is better - the B-1B or the Tu-160. They have different purposes and different tasks,” Majumdar concluded.
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The B-52 and Tu-160 strategic bombers, developed in the mid-20th century, are still in service. They are timeless. Both aircraft repeatedly participated in combat operations.
During the Cold War era, the United States and the Soviet Union spent several decades intimidating each other with the threat of destroying the enemy with nuclear weapons. Millions of people and countless resources were spent on developing and deploying weapons systems equipped with the latest technology to ensure the complete destruction of an enemy state should the Cold War become hot.
During this arms race, both sides developed bombers capable of crossing oceans and continents to drop nuclear bombs directly on enemy territory. Subsequently, when this became impossible due to the improvement of air defense systems, missiles began to be placed on these aircraft to be launched as close as possible to the target. It seems incredible that some of these engineering marvels from the 1950s to 1970s are still flying today, 26 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War they were designed to fight.
The grandchildren of their first pilots sit at the controls of some aircraft, and these devices do not lose their effectiveness. They are being modernized so as not to be removed from service, for example, the American B-52 or the Russian Tu-95 (Bear - “Bear” according to NATO classification), or their production is being resumed to produce new models, in particular, the Russian Tu-160. The giants of the Cold War will remain with us for many years, some of them will last more than a hundred years, which is an eternity for an airplane.
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
The contract for the development of the B-52 strategic bomber was concluded in 1946, the first flight of this device took place on April 15, 1952, and in 1955 it was put into service with the US Air Force. After 62 years, this modernized and modified aircraft continues to fly and participate in combat operations. The B-52 Stratofortress (flying fortress) was developed as an intercontinental jet bomber carrying unguided nuclear bombs to attack cities and strategically important infrastructure of the USSR.
© RIA Novosti, SkrynnikovNuclear bombs have never been dropped from these aircraft, which have been used for operational and tactical purposes in all armed conflicts involving the United States since the 1965 Vietnam War. But they dropped thousands of tons of unguided and guided bombs with conventional charges, and now they continue to roam the skies, sometimes piloted by the grandchildren of their first commanders. Among themselves, the pilots call this bomber Buff. This is an acronym formed from the words Big Ugly Fat Fucker (big, ugly, fat guy).
The length of the aircraft is 48.5 meters, the wingspan is 56.4 meters, the wing area is 370 square meters. The height of the vertical stabilizer is 12.4 meters, the empty weight of the aircraft is 83.25 tons, the maximum take-off weight is 220 tons, which allows it to carry 31.5 thousand kilograms of weapons and 181 thousand liters of fuel.
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Al Madena news 06/05/2017The bomber has swept wings (sweep angle 35 degrees), from which hang four twin compartments with TF-33 turbojet engines manufactured by Pratt & Whitney. The device can reach a maximum speed of 1046 km/h (650 mph or Mach 0.86). The maximum flight range without in-flight refueling is 14 thousand kilometers (the ferry range is more than 16 thousand kilometers), but when refueling in the air, the maximum flight range depends on the endurance of the crew. The plane can fly at altitudes of up to 15.24 thousand meters. The crew consists of five people (commander, co-pilot, navigator, radio operator-gunner and electronics engineer), although sometimes it also included gunners to fire anti-aircraft guns removed from the vehicle in its latest modifications.
Designed to carry a large bomb load, the B-52 features a large internal cargo bay and four underwing weapons suspension systems, allowing the vehicle to carry a variety of unguided and guided bombs (nuclear, cluster and conventional), as well as air-to-surface missiles, designed to strike both ground and surface targets, mines, electronic suppression systems with a total weight of up to 31.5 tons. A total of 744 aircraft were built in eight modifications (from A to H), the last aircraft left the factory floor on October 26, 1962.
As new models of the bomber were developed, its design and the electronic equipment installed on board were improved, and the structure of the tail section was changed, including the location of the tail machine guns (which were later removed from the device). The aircraft were also equipped with new target designators, electronic warfare systems, and modified engine models with higher power and lower fuel consumption. Currently, the US Air Force has about 70 B-52 bombers in full combat readiness, and another 20 are in reserve. All devices belong to modification H and have been modernized to extend their service life.
The first combat missions of these aircraft, originally designed for participation in nuclear war, were the so-called carpet bombing using unguided conventionally charged bombs (during the Vietnam War) similar to those used during World War II. Throughout the American Gulf War, B-52s carried out high-altitude bombing missions as well as low-altitude strikes, including missile strikes.
Today, American strategic bombers are used in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq as high-altitude support aircraft using guided munitions. Due to their combat radius and high survivability, these vehicles are ideal “flying arsenals” for dropping guided bombs (laser-guided or GPS) on command from the ground. Equipping aircraft with the Litening module since 2007 has made it possible to use them to perform the above-mentioned tasks. In addition, the B-52 can be used for maritime patrols and can carry mines or Harpoon missiles. The speed and range of the bomber allows it to fly over vast areas during search operations.
During the B-52's long service, at least 11 aircraft were lost in crashes, including a B-52G that collided with a KC-135 Stratotanker over the Spanish village of Palomares, Almeria, on January 17, 1966. Four thermonuclear bombs on board the bomber fell to the ground, causing radiation contamination of the area. Another 30 aircraft were lost during the Vietnam War: at least ten of them were shot down by the enemy, and five were so seriously damaged that they could hardly reach Allied airfields. In turn, the gunners of two B-52D aircraft shot down two MiG-21 fighters with their tail machine guns. Currently, B-52s continue to fly combat missions in Syria and Iraq, striking the positions of terrorist groups, including the Islamic State, and performing “show of force” flights in high-risk areas. international tensions: the Baltics, Eastern Europe or the South China Sea.
The last B-52 aircraft produced has been in service for 55 years and has tens of thousands of flight hours, but the aircraft's 1950s-style design and repeated upgrades and modifications allow them to remain in service for many years to come. This is precisely what the new proposal to replace the engines of American bombers, their weakest link, is aimed at. The US Air Force has requested about ten million dollars to study options to replace the latest version of the TF-33 Pratt & Whitney engines with the most modern power plants, which should reduce the cost of operating the aircraft (cost per flight hour, fuel consumption) and increase flight range.
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World of Weapons 06/28/2017The cost of improving the B-52 bomber fleet, including rebuilding the cargo bay to allow it to be loaded with guided munitions, is $227 million. Between 2018 and 2020, it is expected to spend $1.34 billion on modernizing radar installations and equipping devices with new systems. The US Air Force intends to continue operating the Buffs until 2040, when the aircraft will be 100 years old. And he will continue to bomb.
Tu-160 "White Swan"
The Soviet equivalent of the American B-52 was essentially the swept-wing Tu-95 turboprop strategic bomber, designed to perform the same combat missions in the same era, which also continues to operate today. But a more interesting example in terms of modernization is, without a doubt, the successor of this aircraft - the Tu-160 “White Swan” (Blackjack - “Blackjack” according to NATO classification). This aircraft belongs to the next generation of bombers, and it is truly worthy of respect.
The Tu-160, whose development began on a competitive basis in 1972, was supposed to become a competitor to the American XB-70 Valkyrie or B-1A models, which were never put into service. As part of this mission, the Tupolev Design Bureau created a monster: the world's largest and heaviest combat aircraft with variable wing geometry, capable of reaching speeds twice the speed of sound, and the world's fastest bomber currently in service. All this was so expensive that today there are only 16 of these devices left that can be used. But they have such potential that the Russian Ministry of Defense plans to resume production of this aircraft.
In appearance, the Tu-160 resembles an enlarged version of the American Rockwell B-1 Lancer aircraft. The Russian bomber is larger than its American counterpart (length - 54.1 meters compared to 44.5 meters; maximum wingspan - 55.7 meters compared to 41.8 meters), it is heavier (maximum take-off weight - 275 tons compared to 216 tons), faster (maximum speed - Mach 2 compared to Mach 1.25), can carry more weapons in the cargo bay (40 tons compared to 34 tons). It was developed as a missile carrier, the cargo compartments are equipped with two drum launchers, each of which can carry six X-55 cruise missiles (with conventional and nuclear charges and a range of up to 2.5 thousand kilometers) or 12 X-15 aeroballistic hypersonic missiles (nuclear or anti-ship) short range (up to 300 kilometers).
The maximum flight range of the Tu-160 without in-flight refueling is 12.3 thousand kilometers, the combat radius is about 7 thousand kilometers, it is equipped with an aerial refueling receiver boom, which is used in rare cases. The maximum flight altitude is 15 thousand meters. Although the aircraft was not built using Stealth technology, a number of design features reduce its radar signature, for example, compared to the B-52.
In April 1987, the 184th Guards Poltava-Berlin Red Banner Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment in Priluki (on the territory of the Ukrainian SSR) was equipped with Tu-160 bombers, but after the release of 36 devices, the collapse of the Soviet Union occurred, which influenced the further fate of the Tu-160.
After the USSR ceased to exist in 1991, Ukraine nationalized all Armed Forces located on its territory. At the airfield in Priluki there were 19 “White Swans”, which were appropriated by Ukraine, although most of the pilots and aircraft technicians chose to go to Russia.
In the 90s, these aircraft gradually failed due to the lack of necessary repair and restoration services. Russia and Ukraine were negotiating the possible sale of these aircraft. Ukraine did not need them, but the requested price (about $3 billion) was too high for Moscow. After much wrangling and the disposal of one device under the treaty on nuclear disarmament of Ukraine, the parties came to an agreement: taking into account the write-off of part of the gas purchase debt, Russia had to pay Ukraine $285 million for eight Tu-160s, which are in the best condition, three Tu-95MS and 575 Kh-55M missiles. After the necessary training, from November 1999 to February 2001, the Tu-160s were relocated to a Russian airbase near the city of Engels, Saratov region.
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Ilta-Sanomat 06/17/2017The 121st Guards Sevastopol Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, based at the airfield near Engels, already had six Tu-160 aircraft, to which were added eight more bombers transferred by Ukraine, and several aircraft that were being completed by the Russian Ministry of Defense after the collapse of the USSR. After a number of plane crashes and the commissioning of new missile carriers, the Russian Air Force now has 16 Tu-160s (in the Tu-160M modification), although it is believed that only 11 of them are in a state of full combat readiness. These devices carried out demonstration flights in South America (in 2008 in Venezuela and in 2013 in Colombia). In November 2015, Tu-160 bombers took part in combat operations for the first time, carrying out cruise missile strikes against targets in Syria.
Considering the power and potential of these devices, it is not surprising that the Russian Ministry of Defense wanted to increase the Tu-160 fleet. An idea emerged to resume production of these aircraft (one aircraft every two to three years) and increase their number to 30 by 2030-2040. The missile carriers will be produced in the Tu-160M2 modification and, according to official data, will be equipped with 60% new components, including new power plants, which should increase the Tu-160’s flight range by approximately a thousand kilometers and flight altitude to 18 thousand meters.
It is planned to integrate the latest high-precision instruments into the aircraft’s on-board system, which will allow shooters to use “smart” ammunition, as well as radar systems and communications of the latest generation. Another important change will be the replacement of all Ukrainian-made equipment, since now, when relations between Russia and Ukraine are tense, its import is impossible. The resumption of production of the Tu-160 will slow down the implementation of the program for the development of a promising long-range aviation complex (PAK DA), but will extend the service life of the device, which in this case can remain in service for more than 50 years. And then no one will be able to say that the “old people” are good for nothing.
InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial staff.
B-52 vs Tu-160: Why the US and Russia are not decommissioning Cold War-era strategic bombers
B-52 bomber Photo from open sources
The B-52 and Tu-160 strategic bombers, developed in the mid-20th century, are still in service. They are timeless. Both aircraft took part in combat operations several times
During the Cold War era, the United States and the Soviet Union spent several decades intimidating each other with the threat of destroying the enemy with nuclear weapons. Millions of people and countless resources were spent on developing and deploying weapons systems equipped with the latest technology to ensure the complete destruction of an enemy state should the Cold War become hot.
During this arms race, both sides developed bombers capable of crossing oceans and continents to drop nuclear bombs directly on enemy territory. Subsequently, when this became impossible due to the improvement of air defense systems, missiles began to be placed on these aircraft to be launched as close as possible to the target. It seems incredible that some of these engineering marvels from the 1950s to 1970s are still flying today, 26 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War they were designed to fight.
The grandchildren of their first pilots sit at the controls of some aircraft, and these devices do not lose their effectiveness. They are being modernized so as not to be removed from service, for example, the American B-52 or the Russian Tu-95 (Bear - “Bear” according to NATO classification), or their production is being resumed to produce new models, in particular, the Russian Tu-160. The giants of the Cold War will remain with us for many years, some of them will last more than a hundred years, which is an eternity for an airplane.
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
The contract for the development of the B-52 strategic bomber was concluded in 1946, the first flight of this device took place on April 15, 1952, and in 1955 it was put into service with the US Air Force. After 62 years, this modernized and modified aircraft continues to fly and participate in combat operations. The B-52 Stratofortress (flying fortress) was developed as an intercontinental jet bomber carrying unguided nuclear bombs to attack cities and strategically important infrastructure of the USSR.
Nuclear bombs have never been dropped from these aircraft, which have been used for operational and tactical purposes in all armed conflicts involving the United States since the 1965 Vietnam War. But they dropped thousands of tons of unguided and guided bombs with conventional charges, and now they continue to roam the skies, sometimes piloted by the grandchildren of their first commanders. Among themselves, the pilots call this bomber Buff. This is an acronym formed from the words Big Ugly Fat Fucker (big, ugly, fat guy).
The length of the aircraft is 48.5 meters, the wingspan is 56.4 meters, the wing area is 370 square meters. The height of the vertical stabilizer is 12.4 meters, the empty weight of the aircraft is 83.25 tons, the maximum take-off weight is 220 tons, which allows it to carry 31.5 thousand kilograms of weapons and 181 thousand liters of fuel.
The bomber has swept wings (sweep angle 35 degrees), from which hang four twin compartments with TF-33 turbojet engines manufactured by Pratt & Whitney. The device can reach a maximum speed of 1046 km/h (650 mph or Mach 0.86). The maximum flight range without in-flight refueling is 14 thousand kilometers (the ferry range is more than 16 thousand kilometers), but when refueling in the air, the maximum flight range depends on the endurance of the crew. The plane can fly at altitudes of up to 15.24 thousand meters. The crew consists of five people (commander, co-pilot, navigator, radio operator-gunner and electronics engineer), although sometimes it also included gunners to fire anti-aircraft guns removed from the vehicle in its latest modifications.
News on the topic
Designed to carry a large bomb load, the B-52 features a large internal cargo bay and four underwing weapons suspension systems, allowing the vehicle to carry a variety of unguided and guided bombs (nuclear, cluster and conventional), as well as air-to-surface missiles, designed to strike both ground and surface targets, mines, electronic suppression systems with a total weight of up to 31.5 tons. A total of 744 aircraft were built in eight modifications (from A to H), the last aircraft left the factory floor on October 26, 1962.
As new models of the bomber were developed, its design and the electronic equipment installed on board were improved, and the structure of the tail section was changed, including the location of the tail machine guns (which were later removed from the device). The aircraft were also equipped with new target designators, electronic warfare systems, and modified engine models with higher power and lower fuel consumption. Currently, the US Air Force has about 70 B-52 bombers in full combat readiness, and another 20 are in reserve. All devices belong to modification H and have been modernized to extend their service life.
The first combat missions of these aircraft, originally designed for participation in nuclear war, were the so-called carpet bombing using unguided conventionally charged bombs (during the Vietnam War) similar to those used during World War II. Throughout the American Gulf War, B-52s carried out high-altitude bombing missions as well as low-altitude strikes, including missile strikes.
Today, American strategic bombers are used in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq as high-altitude support aircraft using guided munitions. Due to their combat radius and high survivability, these vehicles are ideal “flying arsenals” for dropping guided bombs (laser-guided or GPS) on command from the ground. Equipping aircraft with the Litening module since 2007 has made it possible to use them to perform the above-mentioned tasks. In addition, the B-52 can be used for maritime patrols and can carry mines or Harpoon missiles. The speed and range of the bomber allows it to fly over vast areas during search operations.
During the B-52's long service, at least 11 aircraft were lost in crashes, including a B-52G that collided with a KC-135 Stratotanker over the Spanish village of Palomares, Almeria, on January 17, 1966. Four thermonuclear bombs on board the bomber fell to the ground, causing radiation contamination of the area. Another 30 aircraft were lost during the Vietnam War: at least ten of them were shot down by the enemy, and five were so seriously damaged that they could hardly reach Allied airfields. In turn, the gunners of two B-52D aircraft shot down two MiG-21 fighters with their tail machine guns. Currently, B-52s continue to fly combat missions in Syria and Iraq, striking the positions of terrorist groups, including the Islamic State, and flying “show of force” flights in areas of heightened international tension: the Baltics, Eastern Europe or South China sea.
News on the topic
The last B-52 aircraft produced has been in service for 55 years and has tens of thousands of flight hours, but the aircraft's 1950s-style design and repeated upgrades and modifications allow them to remain in service for many years to come. This is precisely what the new proposal to replace the engines of American bombers - their weakest link - is aimed at. The US Air Force has requested about ten million dollars to study options to replace the latest version of the TF-33 Pratt & Whitney engines with the most modern power plants, which should reduce the cost of operating the aircraft (cost per flight hour, fuel consumption) and increase flight range.
The cost of improving the B-52 bomber fleet, including rebuilding the cargo bay to allow it to be loaded with guided munitions, is $227 million. Between 2018 and 2020, it is expected to spend $1.34 billion on modernizing radar installations and equipping devices with new systems. The US Air Force intends to continue operating the Buffs until 2040, when the aircraft will be 100 years old. And he will continue to bomb.
Tu-160 "White Swan"
Bomber Tu-160 Photos from open sources
The Soviet equivalent of the American B-52 was essentially the swept-wing Tu-95 turboprop strategic bomber, designed to perform the same combat missions in the same era, which also continues to operate today. But a more interesting example in terms of modernization is, without a doubt, the successor of this aircraft - the Tu-160 "White Swan" (Blackjack - "Blackjack" according to NATO classification). This aircraft belongs to the next generation of bombers, and it is truly worthy of respect.
The Tu-160, whose development began on a competitive basis in 1972, was supposed to become a competitor to the American XB-70 Valkyrie or B-1A models, which were never put into service. As part of this mission, the Tupolev Design Bureau created a monster: the world's largest and heaviest combat aircraft with variable wing geometry, capable of reaching speeds twice the speed of sound, and the world's fastest bomber currently in service. All this was so expensive that today there are only 16 of these devices left that can be used. But they have such potential that the Russian Ministry of Defense plans to resume production of this aircraft.
In appearance, the Tu-160 resembles an enlarged version of the American Rockwell B-1 Lancer aircraft. The Russian bomber is larger than its American counterpart (length - 54.1 meters compared to 44.5 meters; maximum wingspan - 55.7 meters compared to 41.8 meters), it is heavier (maximum take-off weight - 275 tons compared to 216 tons), faster (maximum speed Mach 2 compared to Mach 1.25), can carry more weapons in the cargo bay (40 tons compared to 34 tons). It was developed as a missile carrier, the cargo compartments are equipped with two drum launchers, each of which can carry six X-55 cruise missiles (with conventional and nuclear charges and a range of up to 2.5 thousand kilometers) or 12 X-15 aeroballistic hypersonic missiles (nuclear or anti-ship) short range (up to 300 kilometers).
The maximum flight range of the Tu-160 without in-flight refueling is 12.3 thousand kilometers, the combat radius is about 7 thousand kilometers, it is equipped with an aerial refueling receiver boom, which is used in rare cases. The maximum flight altitude is 15 thousand meters. Although the aircraft was not built using Stealth technology, a number of design features reduce its radar signature, for example, compared to the B-52.
In April 1987, the 184th Guards Poltava-Berlin Red Banner Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment in Priluki (on the territory of the Ukrainian SSR) was equipped with Tu-160 bombers, but after the release of 36 devices, the collapse of the Soviet Union occurred, which influenced the further fate of the Tu-160.
After the USSR ceased to exist in 1991, Ukraine nationalized all Armed Forces located on its territory. At the airfield in Priluki there were 19 “White Swans”, which were appropriated by Ukraine, although most of the pilots and aircraft technicians chose to go to Russia.
In the 90s, these aircraft gradually failed due to the lack of necessary repair and restoration services. Russia and Ukraine were negotiating the possible sale of these aircraft. Ukraine did not need them, but the requested price (about $3 billion) was too high for Moscow. After much wrangling and the disposal of one device under the treaty on nuclear disarmament of Ukraine, the parties came to an agreement: taking into account the write-off of part of the gas purchase debt, Russia had to pay Ukraine $285 million for eight Tu-160s, which are in the best condition, three Tu-95MS and 575 Kh-55M missiles. After the necessary training, from November 1999 to February 2001, the Tu-160s were relocated to a Russian airbase near the city of Engels, Saratov region.
News on the topic
The 121st Guards Sevastopol Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, based at the airfield near Engels, already had six Tu-160 aircraft, to which were added eight more bombers transferred by Ukraine, and several aircraft that were being completed by the Russian Ministry of Defense after the collapse of the USSR. After a number of plane crashes and the commissioning of new missile carriers, the Russian Air Force now has 16 Tu-160s (in the Tu-160M modification), although it is believed that only 11 of them are in a state of full combat readiness. These devices carried out demonstration flights in South America (in 2008 in Venezuela and in 2013 in Colombia). In November 2015, Tu-160 bombers took part in combat operations for the first time, carrying out cruise missile strikes against targets in Syria.
Considering the power and potential of these devices, it is not surprising that the Russian Ministry of Defense wanted to increase the Tu-160 fleet. An idea emerged to resume production of these aircraft (one aircraft every two to three years) and increase their number to 30 by 2030-2040. The missile carriers will be produced in the Tu-160M2 modification and, according to official data, will be equipped with 60% new components, including new power plants, which should increase the Tu-160’s flight range by approximately a thousand kilometers and flight altitude to 18 thousand meters.
It is planned to integrate the latest high-precision instruments into the aircraft’s on-board system, which will allow shooters to use “smart” ammunition, as well as the latest generation radar systems and communications equipment. Another important change will be the replacement of all Ukrainian-made equipment, since now, when relations between Russia and Ukraine are tense, its import is impossible. The resumption of production of the Tu-160 will slow down the implementation of the program for the development of a promising long-range aviation complex (PAK DA), but will extend the service life of the device, which in this case can remain in service for more than 50 years. And then no one will be able to say that the “old people” are good for nothing.
Pepe Cervera
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