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Combat aircraftIn service
Supersonic strategic heavy bomber
Tupolev Tu-160 is a supersonic strategic heavy bomber originating in Soviet Union / Russia.
Soviet Union / RussiaSupersonic strategic heavy bomber
Soviet Union / Russia
Tupolev
Kazan Aircraft Production Association
In service
Russian Aerospace Forces Soviet Air Forces (former) Ukrainian Air Force (former)
41 (9 test and 32 serial)
1984–1992, 2002, 2008, 2017, 2021–present
April 1987
18 December 1981
4 (pilot, co-pilot, bombardier, defensive systems officer)
54.1 m (177 ft 6 in)
55.7 m (182 ft 9 in) wings spread (20°)
13.1 m (43 ft 0 in)
400 m 2 (4,300 sq ft) wings spread
110,000 kg (242,508 lb)
267,600 kg (589,957 lb)
275,000 kg (606,271 lb)
4 × Samara NK-321 afterburning turbofan engines, 137.3 kN (30,900 lbf) thrust each dry, 245 kN (55,000 lbf) with afterburner
2,220 km/h (1,380 mph, 1,200 kn) at 12,200 m (40,000 ft)
960 km/h (600 mph, 520 kn) / M0.9
12,300 km (7,600 mi, 6,600 nmi) practical range without in-flight refuelling, Mach 0.77 and carrying 6 × Kh-55SM dropped at mid range and 5% fuel reserves
2,000 km (1,200 mi, 1,100 nmi) at Mach 1.5; or 7,300 km (4,536 mi) at subsonic speeds
16,000 m (52,000 ft)
70 m/s (14,000 ft/min)
18.5–19, while supersonic it is above 6
742 kg/m 2 (152 lb/sq ft) with wings fully swept
0.37
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Reference text from Wikipedia contributors, used under CC BY-SA 4.0.
True scale
Sourced dimensions beside a 1.75 m human reference.
Points represent sourced observations, including revisions. Revisions on the same effective date are not separate inventory events. Ranges appear in the table and are not plotted as exact points.
| Observation / report period | Value | Source | Claim state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Sept 2026 | 54.1 m | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
Tupolev Tu-160 equipment records. Variants, orders and quantities are shown as reported in each inventory source; coverage is incomplete.
RussiaLong-Range Aviation Command exact named equipment holdings: Tu-160 Blackjack. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: AIRCRAFT / BBR. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
Aerospace Forces exact named equipment holdings: Tu-160 Blackjack. Active, operational-reserve and training units excluding equipment in store; November 2025 IISS assessment. Named service only; no parent-force or national total inferred. Source role: AIRCRAFT / BBR. Original estimates, ranges, reporting names, reserve, lease and employment scopes retained; nested included counts are not added. Missile-system quantities mean launchers, not rounds. No readiness, crew, carried weapon, payload, factory-production or future order count inherited.
Russian Aerospace Forces Soviet Air Forces (former) Ukrainian Air Force (former)
Equipment reference ↗