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National News: India plans to buy the TU-160 Blackjack bomber aircraft from Russia as a step to increase military strength. Known as the “White Swan,” this is part of Russia’s nuclear triad, one of the most important components.
The TU-160 can fly around the world in a single flight; its tremendous range and capacity to drop horrible attacks with heavy bombs make it unique from any other bombers in the world. This bomber is so strong that the United States controls it with close satellite surveillance.
Tu-22M3 was first proposed to the Indian Navy nearly two decades ago, as a Soviet design. But high costs of leasing and expenditure on modernization kept the deal from finalizing. Today, with the addition of the Tu-160M modernized, highly capable strategic bomber, Moscow is looking towards arming India with aircraft that can sharpen the long-range strike potential. The Tu-160M, on the other hand, is still under contract, signed in 2018. This calls for the delivery of 10 units to the Russian Air Force by 2027. The improved variant will feature improvements on significant avionics and navigation systems. According to Tupolev, the producer, the modern Tu-160M is 60% more effective than its predecessor.
Key Characteristics of the TU-160
Tupolev TU-160 bomber has a top speed of 2,220 kilometers per hour and can carry a maximum weight of 110,000 kilograms which includes bombs. It has a wingspan of 56 meters. The first flight was set in December 16, 1981. Now, the Russian military employs 17 strategic bombers and all of them are constantly being improved.
The TU-160 is a strategic bomber, meaning it can drop large amounts of weaponry from air to ground onto to distant targets. It makes the intent of the TU-160 bomber aircraft is to destabilise one’s enemy. So far, Russia has 11 TU 160s and has been using the Tu-160 bombers in its ongoing operation against Ukraine.
Why Russia re-deployed the TU-160
Russia had decommissioned the TU-160 bomber from active service in 1995 as operational costs were too high, something that the country could not afford given the economic issues facing Russia since the dissolution of the erstwhile USSR. In 2015, however, Russia decided to upgrade the TU-160 and return it to service to meet the dwindling strategic bomber fleet.
India interest in TU-160
The interest of India in acquiring the TU-160 was hinted by the then Air Force Chief, Air Marshal Anoop Raha, in the year 2022 during an event called “Chanakya Dialogues” by the Chanakya Foundation. Air Marshal Anoop Raha said that India was interested in Russia’s TU-160 bomber while responding to a query posed by defense analyst Bharat Karnad. It went on to instigate soaring speculations of India’s potential intent to acquire the aircraft.
Why does India need TU-160?
India has needed a strategic bomber for quite some time because it has to deal simultaneously with the possibility of conflicts on two fronts at once. India shares border disputes with close allies of each other, namely China and Pakistan. In this scenario, the country needs a bomber that can reach out to long distances in a single flight to deliver strikes and maintain low maintenance as well as operation cost. Russian TU-160 meets all the above criteria, making it a strong contender for India’s requirements.
