The second experimental sample of the fundamentally upgraded strategic missile-carrying plane Tupolev-160M is undergoing ground tests at the flight test station of the Gorbunov aircraft plant in Kazan, a source in the defense-industrial complex told TASS.
"The second plane is on the way. Testing is in progress at the flight test station," the source said, adding that the plane was converted from a standard Tupolev-160 built earlier.
At the beginning of November 2020, the first fundamentally upgraded strategic bomber Tupolev-160M, equipped with new engines NK-32-02 took off from the airfield of the Gorbunov aircraft plant in Kazan. The United Aircraft Corporation said that during the flight the upgraded general systems and onboard radio-electronic equipment were tested and the performance of the new engine NK-32 of the 02 series assessed.
The Tupolev-16 is a multimode supersonic strategic missile-carrying plane with a variable sweep wing. The decision to resume the production of the upgraded version of Tupolev-160 – Tupolev-160M – was made in 2015. On February 2, 2020 the first fundamentally upgraded Tupolev-160M Igor Sikorsky, converted from a standard Tupolev-160 version, performed its first flight. It was equipped with new flying and navigation equipment, onboard communication system and control system, radar and radio-electronic resistance complex.