Autor: Dmitry Terekhov (CC BY-SA 2.0)
By: The Associated Press
MOSCOW — Russia has signed a 160 billion rouble (U.S.
$2.8 billion) contract that will see the delivery of 10 modernized strategic
bombers to the Russian Air Force.
Speaking on a visit to an aircraft-making plant in Kazan
on Thursday, President Vladimir Putin said the revamped version of the
Soviet-designed Tu-160 bomber features new engines and avionics that would
significantly enhance its capability and boost the nation’s military power.
He said the upgraded bomber is a “serious step in the
development of high-tech industries and strengthening the nation’s defense
capabilities.”
Also during his visit, Putin watched a demonstration
flight of a Tu-160 strategic bomber and met with workers.
The four-engine supersonic bomber developed in the 1980s
is the largest combat plane in the world. During Russia’s campaign in Syria,
the military used the Tu-160s to launch long-range cruise missiles at militant
targets.
Putin suggested the plant develop a supersonic passenger
jet based on the Tu-160, saying that Russia’s vast territory would warrant such
a design.
The state-controlled United Aircraft Corporation said in
a statement carried by Tass news agency that preliminary work has started on
designing such a plane.
The Soviet-designed Tu-144 supersonic passenger jet that
rivaled the British-French Concorde saw only brief service with Aeroflot after
Soviet officials decided it was too costly to operate. Concorde entered service
in 1976 and operated for 27 years.
Original post: defensenews.com
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