Gorbunov Aircraft Plant launches Tu-160M bomber production.

The Gorbunov Aircraft Plant in Kazan (KAZ) is beginning to produce new upgraded strategic Tu-160M bombers, the Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexey Krivoruchko said during a visit to the enterprise.

Russian Air Force's Tu-160 strategic bomber
(Credit: Tupolev/UAC)

"The first aircraft are being produced. Batch production will be launched in the near future. We shall wait for the first flight to decide on serial supplies. There is the schedule which is observed," Krivoruchko said.

The decision to resume the production of strategic bombers in Kazan was made in 2015. Major funds were invested into the reconstruction of the production facilities, the airfield test complex and infrastructure. Close to 200 enterprises cooperate in Tu-160M production.

Tu-160 from the mid 2000's started to take the upgrade to version Tu-160M, combined with capital improvements. During these events, in addition to extending the life of the aircraft, fully updated range of electronic equipment. The planes have the opportunity to apply the new shock weapons, including long-range strategic cruise missile Kh-101/Kh-102. By 2020, the Russian air force plans to have ten modernized T-160M strategic bombers.

By the mid 2020, Tu-160, along with the Tu-95MS, will gradually be replaced as part of long-range aviation by a new strategic bomber, developed under the programme "Prospective airborne long-range aviation (PAK DA). Russia will also modernize about 30 Tu-22M3 Backfire-C strategic bombers to a Tu-22M3M variant by 2020.