The new avionics and electronic warfare system of the Tu-160, codenamed Blackjack by NATO military experts, will begin this year. Construction of the design materials and documentation of battle performance characteristics and technical specifications are currently underway, Mikheev informed.
"There will be nothing left from the earlier version of Tu-160, only the platform. Much more advanced hardware will be installed on it," Mikheev said, as cited by Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
Upgrades of engines & missiles ensure Russian TU-160 nuclear bombers can hit targets worldwide http://t.co/NyY3thPwLT pic.twitter.com/kzdlbYGi88
— Keep Trident (@keeptrident) 17 июля 2015
The new strategic bomber will also be equipped with an advanced radio-electronic system, highly effective against anti-aircraft missiles.
The revival of the production of this bomber was announced by the Russian Defense Minister in April 2015.
The Tu-160M2's advanced equipment will make it possible to increase its effectiveness by more than two-fold as compared to the old version.
