NI: Tu-160 modernization shows that the US has seriously underestimated Russia

The modernization of Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers suggests that the United States has seriously underestimated Russia. The National Interest (NI) magazine The National Interest (NI) stated on January 5.

"It was reasonable on Moscow 's part to approve the modernization program that Tupolev wanted for its Tu-160s. <...> Washington made a significant mistake by countering the post-Soviet regime in Russia," the publication said.

The authors of the article drew attention to the fact that U.S. officials had previously said that the Russians supposedly "no longer have geopolitical significance and that they can be easily ignored and manipulated."

"The evolution of the mighty Tu-160M is one evidence of the falsity of such perceptions," the publication emphasized.

Jump to Thu: what will be the new strategic missile-carrier aircraft

And how the modernization of existing combat aircraft will change the long-range aviation of the Russian air force

At the end of December 2024, Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Rostec State Corporation, said that specialists of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) had done a lot of work to resume production of modernized Tu-160M missile carriers. He noted that the technology of vacuum welding of titanium products has been restored, and the production of airframe units and unique systems has been resumed.

Russia's Air and Space Forces (ASF) have already received the first new Tu-160s over the past couple of years, and in December 2024 it was announced that the long-range aviation will receive four Tu-160M aircraft during 2025.