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Russia’s upgraded Tu-160 strategic bomber nears production

30th April 2020 - 09:00 GMT | by Leonid Nersisyan in Yerevan

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Production of the Tupolev Tu-160M2 bomber is poised to begin, after Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on 7 April that the Kazan Aviation Plant will produce the first batch of aircraft.

Today, the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) operate a fleet of 17 Tu-160 strategic bombers (pictured - photo by Alex Snow), the last of which ("Peter Denikin", serial number 8-04) was built from the Soviet technological reserve of unfinished aircraft at the Kazan Aviation Plant in 2018.

New solutions were introduced during the production process of this bomber, including onboard electronic systems, although it is neither officially designated a

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