What Is a Blackjack Bomber?

If you’re interested in aviation or military history, you may have heard of the Blackjack bomber. This nickname refers to the Tupolev Tu-160, a supersonic strategic bomber produced by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

The Tu-160 first flew in 1981 and entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1987. It was designed to replace the aging Tu-95 Bear bomber and provide a more capable platform for nuclear deterrence and strategic bombing missions.

One of the most striking features of the Tu-160 is its size. With a wingspan of over 55 meters and a maximum takeoff weight of 275,000 kilograms, it’s one of the largest combat aircraft ever built. Its sleek, delta-wing design allows it to fly at supersonic speeds up to Mach 2.05 (over 2,500 kilometers per hour) and carry up to 40,000 kilograms of weapons and fuel.

The Tu-160 is also highly maneuverable for its size, thanks to its four afterburning turbofan engines that can independently swivel up to 20 degrees in any direction. This gives it impressive agility in both air-to-air combat and evading ground-based defenses.

But perhaps the most important aspect of the Tu-160 is its role as a nuclear deterrent. It can carry up to 12 Kh-55SM cruise missiles or Kh-101/102 stealth missiles with nuclear warheads, as well as free-fall bombs and other conventional weapons. Its range of over 12,000 kilometers means it can strike Targets anywhere in Europe or Asia from bases within Russia.

Despite its impressive capabilities, however, the Tu-160 has had a troubled history. Production was slow due to funding shortages and technical difficulties with the engines and avionics systems. Only around 35 aircraft were built before production ceased in 1992, and many of those were retired or scrapped after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

In recent years, however, the Russian government has invested in modernizing and restarting production of the Tu-160. A new variant, designated Tu-160M2, is expected to enter service in 2023 with upgraded engines, avionics, and weapons systems.

So why is it called the Blackjack bomber The name likely comes from a combination of its NATO reporting name (Blackjack) and its resemblance to the American B-1 Lancer bomber. Whatever you call it, though, there’s no denying that the Tu-160 is an impressive piece of engineering and a symbol of Soviet/Russian military might.