Tu-160: the swan song has not yet been sung
This year marks 35 years since the Tu-160 strategic bomber or, in our opinion, the White Swan, stands guard over the interests of the country. In the camp of our probables, it is called "Black Jack", which some incorrectly translate as "black jack", in fact, "Black jack" is a swinging blow with a club that knocks down. A fairer title, in my opinion.
Is 35 years too long? Basically, no. Not so long ago, we had articles about the B-52 and Tu-95, which celebrated their seventieth anniversary in military service, so 35 years is so, seeds ...
In principle, all the problems and possibilities of old aircraft were discussed quite well in those materials, but the Tu-160 is already from a different generation.
It all started in the sixties, when the peak of "love and friendship" between the USSR and the USA prevented satellites from flying in space. Both countries struggled to build up their nuclear arsenals and, of course, their means of delivery.
The USSR had a Tu-95 turboprop and a 3M jet, the USA had a B-52. Then it was believed that subsonic aircraft could not be guaranteed to overcome the air defense of a developed country, because work was carried out in both countries, but if in the United States over a strategic aviation worked closely, then in the USSR they preferred to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles.
But in 1964, an event occurred that somewhat turned the aviation world of the USSR upside down: an experimental strategic bomber North American XB-70 "Valkyrie" made its first flight in the United States.
The aircraft, which developed a cruising speed of Mach 3 at an altitude of 21 kilometers, was conceived as an invulnerable bomber that could reach heights where enemy air defenses would be powerless, and it was supposed to be protected from interceptors by the North American XF-108 "Rapier" personal fighter, which would be equipped with the same engines on borohydride fuel.
The project, as they say, “did not play”, the Valkyrie and Rapier were not mass-produced for many reasons, but the Valkyrie played its role: in the USSR they thought about creating a high-altitude supersonic interceptor that could destroy such aircraft outside air defense actions. This is how it started story MiG-25, which we also recently wrote about. (MiG-25: the final departure into history)
Further, the Americans, disappointed in the prospects for a high-altitude breakthrough of the Soviet air defense, concentrated on creating an aircraft capable of bypassing air defense at low altitudes and delivering strikes. Thus began the story of the Rockwell B-1 Lancer.
And here, in parallel with the creation of the MiG-25, work began on the creation of "the same, but better" strategic supersonic missile carrier. So, by the relevant Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR in 1967, work began on the project, which later became the Tu-160.
The aircraft was supposed to carry up to 45 tons of combat load for a range of up to 13 km at a speed of 000 km/h.
The most interesting thing is that initially the Sukhoi and Myasishchev design bureaus worked on the aircraft. Tupolev Design Bureau joined only in 1969, having come not empty-handed, but with developments on the Tu-144.
The T-4MS designed by Sukhoi and the M-18 designed by Myasishchev met in the competition. Myasishchev's plane won, but then an incident occurred: the M-18 formally won, but the Tupolev Design Bureau was further instructed to work on the plane. This was explained by the lack of production space at the Myasishchev Design Bureau. However, these twists and turns are worthy of a separate story, since the Tupolev engineers rejected most of the developments on the M-18 and actually built their own aircraft, however, leaving some of the ideas of the Myasishchev Design Bureau engineers.
In November 1981, the Tu-160 made its first flight, for which test pilot Boris Veremey received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
The plane got big. Much larger than the B-1B, which was supposed to covertly penetrate enemy air defense systems. The dimensions of the Tu-160 gave the aircraft many titles. It still remains the largest and most powerful supersonic aircraft in the history of military aviation, the largest variable-sweep wing aircraft and the record holder for maximum takeoff weight. 245 tons of takeoff weight and 45 tons of combat load - so far no one could exceed this.
What can I say if the Tu-160 takes 171 liters of fuel in an ordinary flight. These are three railway tanks. And he burns this fuel, overcoming about 000 kilometers. Well, 13 world records for distance, altitude and flight speed.
Naturally, the weapons were such that they could plunge anyone into fear and horror. Inside the fuselage, in the compartments, there were two drum launchers MKU-6-5U, which could carry six X-55SM and X-15S missiles.
Over time, even more nightmarish creations of the human mind, X-101 and X-555, were registered there.
They were in such a hurry with the aircraft that they began to assemble and send it to the Air Force before the state tests were completed. Well, as always, I really wanted to get ahead of the United States, although today it looks pretty stupid: there is nothing more than political pluses. The "raw" machine for defense, if it plays, then only in the minus.
They planned to build 100 aircraft and this would be very significant. But alas, the Soviet Union ended earlier, they managed to build only 25 cars. And one more nuance: 19 of them ended up on the territory of independent Ukraine, since under the USSR they were based as part of 184 TBAPs in Priluki.
It turned out in a peculiar way: the planes were in Ukraine, while the manufacturers of spare parts, repair, flight personnel and technical staff ended up in Russia. The Ukrainians were going to use the Tu-160s they inherited as carriers of non-nuclear weapons, but alas, there were not enough funds and specialists for flights, many of whom quit or left for Russia.
And then, in the mid-nineties, the drama began in the history of the Tu-160. The good American partners of the new Ukraine, within the framework of the Nunn-Lugar program, paid the Ukrainians for the destruction of the Tu-160 and Tu-95MS. And as always, the Ukrainians, who needed money, agreed to cut the planes.
Until 2001, 10 aircraft were destroyed, one Tu-160 became a museum exhibit. Moreover, it was practically a new car, only 430 flight hours!
As you can see, dollars, brought in on time and where necessary, work wonders, working much more efficiently than high-altitude interceptors and anti-aircraft missiles.
Luckily for us, the impoverishment and plundering of Ukraine proceeded at such a pace that there was not enough money for everyone, and therefore the Russian side managed to exchange planes for oil and gas. For $285 million, Russia received 8 Tu-160s, 3 Tu-95s and over 500 missiles.
In 1992, the first point was made in the history of the Tu-160. It seems that in exchange for stopping the construction of the V-2 in the United States, Russia stopped building the Tu-160. Completed 6 aircraft were handed over to the Air Force in 1994, at which point the production of the Tu-160 ceased.
However, the period turned out to be a semicolon. And in 2000, the Air Force accepted the aircraft, already produced in Russia. He received the name first "Ilya Muromets", and then was renamed "Alexander Golovanov".
And in 2005, a significant event took place: by decree of President Putin, the Tu-160 was officially adopted by the Russian Air Force. Plus, the aircraft was somewhat modernized by installing NK-32-01 engines with an increased resource and increasing the amount of fuel taken during air refueling from 43 to 50 tons.
Somehow, quietly and almost imperceptibly, they began to assemble the NK-32 engines again, the second modernization of the NK-32-02 appeared, they began to study the possibilities for the production of aircraft, in 2007 Russia announced that it was starting strategic aviation flights again.
And in 2007, the film "07 Changes Course" was released. The film, of course, does not even pull on the “C grade”, because it is miserable both in terms of production and performance by the actors, but Tu-160 “Alexander Molodchiy” played the main role in it.
In 2008, the 16th Tu-160, named "Vitaly Kopylov", came to the Russian Aerospace Forces. Like "Alexander Golovanov", it was an aircraft assembled from the Soviet backlog, with old-style units.
Then everyone was distracted from the Tu-160, because they decided to develop and build the PAK DA at an urgent and accelerated pace. This project was to replace all Soviet long-range aircraft. However, the hotheads soon cooled down, the "successes" under the PAK FA program made us think that planes are needed tomorrow, and not in 30 years.
As a result, President Putin ordered to stop entertainment with searchlights and start resuming mass production of the Tu-160M, aircraft equipped with the latest Russian capabilities. In May 2015, a corresponding decree was signed.
It should be noted the heroism of Russian aircraft manufacturers, who re-mastered the seemingly lost technologies for titanium welding and the production of such complex machines. But they did it, Putin's order that the Aerospace Forces need 50 vehicles is an order. I don’t know what it cost the Kazan aircraft builders, but they did it and the first Tu-160M completely Russian-built “Pyotr Deinekin” is already undergoing a test cycle.
In 2015, the baptism of fire of the Tu-160 took place. Yes, the targets were not very significant for an aircraft of this class, but Russian strategists worked out their missiles on the positions of terrorists in Syria. The Kh-555 and Kh-101 missiles showed their seriousness and also passed the battle test. The targets were hit "with high quality".
This test was the first use of a strategic aircraft created in the 70s of the last century. But did this prove the relevance of the Tu-160?
Indeed, today many are concerned about the question: how modern and in demand is an aircraft that will cost that much money? And how can the Tu-160M perform the tasks for which it was created, that is, a breakthrough in layered air defense?
Modern means of destroying aircraft over these thirty years have made a fair leap in evolution. Anti-aircraft missile systems began to shoot further and more accurately. Missiles have not become “smarter”, but it has become more difficult to knock them off course.
Experts in certain sources believe that the Tu-160M will receive a modernized complex of on-board radio-electronic equipment, it will be equipped with new means of communication, navigation and control. Promisingly new means of destruction will appear, which we still do not know about for various reasons. All this sounds nice, but does not answer the main question: what is the relevance of the Tu-160M based on and how is it supported?
And not only in Russia they are racking their brains over this. The Americans have problems about the same plan. For them, the main question today is whether the Lancer B-1B is worth it, which at first they also wanted to cut as unnecessary, and now they decided to give a second chance as a carrier of hypersonic weapons.
Of course, it will be interesting for us to observe the development of the ARRW (Air Launched Rapid Response Weapon) project, the product of which was the AGM-183A rocket. Perhaps the American hypersonic development will compete with our "Dagger", and perhaps not.
But the fate of the B-1B is not so exciting for all of us, how much is the need for the Tu-160M and the understanding of whether this aircraft will be able to justify the sums spent on it in the future?
First, let's answer a few questions.
Will the Tu-160 be able to quietly approach the US borders? - Not. Satellite constellations and other means of tracking will "see" the bombers much earlier than they come within striking distance.
Is the Tu-160 the strongest component of the nuclear triad? - Not. Submarines carry more missiles and are more powerful. We are not even talking about ground launchers.
Can the Tu-160 be called invulnerable? - Not. Although the aircraft is equipped with protective equipment, a targeted attack by 2-4 fighters will negate all efforts to protect the bomber, and it will be destroyed.
Is the supersonic speed of the Tu-160 a guarantee that the bomber will be able to fulfill all the tasks assigned to it? - Not. The speed of the Tu-160 is high, but the speed of modern missiles is still higher. As well as many aircraft, attacking on counter courses, they are able to "get" the Tu-160.
So maybe we should abandon these aircraft altogether?
And again "no".
It may seem strange, but the Tu-160 is suitable not only for beautiful parade flights and the personification of the capabilities of the Russian Aerospace Forces. Moreover, 17 cars (including Pyotr Deinekin) do not look as impressive as 60 American B-1Bs or 80 B-52s. A question of efficiency.
So where can such an aircraft as the Tu-160 come in handy and why is it strong?
The main advantage of the Tu-160 is its speed. Yes, now some will point their fingers at what was written above, and so: depending on what tasks will be discussed. If it’s one thing to go point-blank to American targets and shoot the drums of your revolvers at them. Let's look at the problem from a slightly different angle.
So, the tension in relations between the US and the Russian Federation reaches almost a maximum. Almost - this means that nuclear missile carriers are still occupying positions in the oceans, but the US AUGs are moving towards the Pacific borders of our country, which, say, nevertheless grappled with Japan over the Kuriles. The Japanese fleet is also beginning to twitch in our direction.
And in such a situation, at a distance, the Tu-160 can have a very big impact on the development of events. The plane is fast. He is not just fast, not every fighter in the world will be able to catch up with him. When the interceptor starts from the ground, and the bomber is already doing 2500 km / h at an altitude of 15 km - go ahead, catch up! This is mathematics, and she is against this. The interceptor must give out 3-3,5 thousand km / h in order to catch up with the Tu-160, and even then, this will not happen immediately.
Who can get so hot with us except for the MiG-31? That's it... And besides, the fuel supply on the fighters is somewhat different from that of the Tu-160.
The strength of the "White Swan" is manifested precisely when the plane has ALREADY taken off and hangs around in the area of events. naturally, with a full combat load, and better in the company of their own kind.
This turns out to be such a joker that can do a lot precisely because the plane can very quickly be where it needs to be. More precisely, it is necessary to command, which gives orders.
A submarine in a combat position (meaning SSGN, we are not erasing the world into dust yet) is good. But the main trump card of the submarine is that it can come to the area of events covertly. But not quickly. And the Tu-160 may not be covert, but very quickly. And the tactical balance is broken for any AUG, because the planes still have to take off (we are silent that the F / A-18 "carcass" simply does not catch up) and depict something, and the strategist is already "fingering in the area." And cruise missiles are a very mean thing. It's not fast, but it's accurate. And the X-555 starts quite normally from such distances that not a single American air defense system works at such distances.
The closer the aircraft can approach before launching the missiles, the less time is left for air defense to respond. And the more difficult it is to intercept a missile, which, due to its harmfulness, will still maneuver and fly over the very waves.
And you can immediately go from hypersonic. To indicate the seriousness of intentions. The Tu-160 is ideal for the role of the Kinzhal carrier, because the first stage from it is at least slower than from the MiG-31, but it will definitely carry more than one missile. And for a greater distance.
The Tu-160 is an ideal weapon for the first circle of defense, capable of meeting the enemy at a considerable distance. It’s not so necessary to hack into US air defense, it’s difficult, and it’s not our business to be the first to attack. But to meet those who are coming on an official, but completely unfriendly visit - for this, the Tu-160 and its missiles are suitable like no other.
If the time comes to wipe out the continent of North America, ICBM submarines and mine monsters will do just fine.
Today, an aircraft like the Tu-160 is not very good for breaking through the curtains of fighters, air defense systems and electronic warfare systems. That is, what we have, speaking of a breakthrough in the air defense system. But this is an ideal weapon, a shield extended 3-5 thousand kilometers from the country's borders. Well, a sword that can very sensitively hit the enemy.
When we are talking not about the first nuclear strike, not about the second, but about a preventive one, on the distant approaches to our borders, here the Tu-160 is simply perfect.
I have repeatedly said in my articles that the US defense tactics, which are calculated from floating airfields advanced far from the borders, are not bad. If there is no weapon capable of drowning these airfields. That is why the military in the United States is so nervous when looking in the direction of our submarine strategic missile carriers, it would be nice if they also became nervous about the fact that Russia has more than fifty (as Putin planned) strategic air missile carriers.
We are accustomed to the fact that the strategic bomber is considered without fail as a weapon of the first strike or retaliation. This is not true. Nowadays, this is a tool for surgically precise impact on the situation, capable of incapacitating the AUG, the supply fleet, bridges, military bases and other targets, being OUTSIDE the air defense and at distances inaccessible to ground-based OTRK.
So in our time, a properly prepared and modernized Tu-160 is very useful and relevant. The only question is how to apply it. But this aircraft can really have a big impact on the balance of power in any region of the world in any conflict.
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