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Putin orders to resume production of supersonic bombers

Russia’s Air Force will more than triple the number of Tu-160 strategic bombers.

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At least 50 new Tu-160M will be built, says Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force, General Viktor Bondarev, to TASS. He refer to a decision by Vladimir Putin on Thursday.

“The production of the aircraft will be restarted. To cover all the outlay of the production, at least 50 aircraft will be purchased in course of time, Bondarev says.

The Tu-160 is considered to be the world’s largest combat aircraft.

The planes are each capable of carrying 20 tons of weapons load. Flights in international air-space were halted after the breakup of the Soviet Union. In 2007, the Tu-160s again resumed flights in international air-space, including the Arctic and airspace outside northern Norway, over the Norwegian Sea and North Sea.

Entering service in 1987, a total of 35 aircrafts are built of which the 16 that are still in service are supposed to be modernized by 2019, Jane’s Defence Weekly reports.

With 50 new Tu-160M, the numbers will reach 66. No time line is announced for when the Russian Air Force will receive the new aircrafts.

Bondarev says to TASS that the resumed production of Tu-160M will go alongside the creation of a new generation strategic bomber.