4. Tu-160M2 ‘Blackjack’ Supersonic Strategic Bomber
The Tu-160 bomber was initially designed as a response to the American B-1 bomber, but it has since been modernized and has now evolved into one of the best supersonic bombers today. The new M2 versions will see their maiden flights in 2019.
Although the B-1 can carry more bombs, the Tu-160 is larger, faster, and has greater combat range. Plans to upgrade existing planes and create new ones were announced in 2015. These new planes will be massively improved, with new engines, new radars, and new avionics. The avionics are the same electronic countermeasures systems that supposedly disabled the USS Cook.
Basically the only thing that will remain the same is the outer shell, everything else will be improved. Its existing top speed of just over Mach 2 is expected to be increased dramatically. Russia plans to build at least 50 of these bombers in the near future and production has already begun.
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