Russia’s Modernized Tu-160M Strategic Bomber Makes 1st Flight With New Engines

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia’s deeply-modernized Tu-160M strategic bomber has completed its first flight with new engines, the United Aircraft Corporation said on Tuesday.
Sputnik

This is the largest and most powerful supersonic aircraft with variable wing geometry in the history of military aviation. Russian airmen call it "White Swan." Along with the Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3, the Tu-160 bomber makes up the aviation component of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces.

"The first flight of the Tu-160M with new serial NK-32-02 engines … took place at the airfield of the Kazan Aircraft Production Association named after Gorbunov ... The flight was performed at an altitude of 6,000 meters and lasted 2 hours and 20 minutes," the company said.

During the flight, the performance of upgraded general aircraft systems, avionics and the new engine was evaluated. All systems operated without issue.

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