Tu-160 Blackjack

Russia's Mach-2-capable strategic heavy bomber and standoff cruise-missile carrier, the most powerful supersonic platform in service.

Overview

The Tupolev Tu-160, known by its NATO reporting name Blackjack and nicknamed the White Swan, is a supersonic, variable-sweep-wing strategic bomber operated exclusively by the Russian Aerospace Forces. Designed during the late Cold War as a counterpart to the American B-1B, it remains the largest and fastest combat aircraft in service, capable of delivering nuclear and conventional cruise missiles from standoff ranges. Since 2015, the type has fired Kh-101 and Kh-555 cruise missiles in Syria and appears regularly in the long-range standoff strikes against Ukraine. Russia is modernising the fleet through a low-rate new-build and upgrade programme, but only a limited number of airframes remain operational.

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