Newsweek compared the characteristics of the B-2 Spirit and the TU-160M ”Valentina”
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Russia is resuming production of the Tu-160M jet bombers, which were named Valentina in honor of the Soviet cosmonaut and the first woman in space in 1963, Valentina Tereshkova.
Airplane counts world’s fastest and far outperforms the U.S. Army’s B-2 stealth bomber.
In NATO, the TU-160 is called “Blackjack”, it was designed in the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 197s. To this day, it is considered the heaviest and largest aircraft. It is not a true stealth bomber like the B-2. But its design includes features that reduce its visibility to radar and infrared sensors.
The new modification “Valentina” features numerous improved components, greater flight range and new protection systems.
Northrop Grumman’s comparable US Air Force B-2 Spirit heavy strategic bomber went into production in 1987. It was tested in the field by 1997. A total of 20 units were produced and are still in service. They will remain in US service until 2032, when they are replaced by the B-21 Raider.
The TU-160Ms are capable of much faster speeds than the B-2 Spirits – a maximum of 1380 mph compared to 630 mph respectively.
Hypothetically, the Spirit outperforms the TU-160M in terms of ammo capacity. The B-2 can carry up to 50,000 pounds in two weapon bays. The official limit of TU-160M is 45 thousand pounds.
To date, the Kazan Aviation Plant has produced 35 Tu-160M bombers – eight prototypes and 27 production ones. The company is starting to restore the serial production of bombers.
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