“No less than 50 aircraft over time will be purchased in order to cover the costs that will go into production,” Col.Gen. Bondarev said without specifying when production would begin.
Earlier Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the need to renew the Tu-160s production.
Bondarev stated that renewed Tu-160 manufacturing will not lead to suspension of PAK DA, a next-generation Russian strategic bomber developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau, equipped with the newest high-precision weaponry.
The Air Force Tu-160 is now being upgraded, and radar and navigation equipment is being replaced.
The Tu-160 is a supersonic strategic bomber with variable-sweep wings, designed to engage targets around the globe with nuclear and conventional weapons.
