According to the business daily ‘Kommersant’…
Russia to Revive Serial Production of Strategic Tu-160 Bombers
Given that strategic Tu-160 bombers have resumed their regular patrol, Russia will probably have to revive their full-scale serial production at Kazan Aircraft Production Association, Interfax-AVN reported.
“In Kazan, there are the planes [Tu-160], whose construction hasn’t been completed. One of them is to be handed over to Air Force this year, the next one – presumably in a year. Afterwards, of course, we have to resume all production cycle and revive all cooperation releasing component parts,” said Tu-160 Chief Designer Valentin Bliznyuk. “Then it will be really good support to Air Force that has sharply brought momentum to the flights of long-distance aviation.”
Non-availability of required parts and components is one of the most acute problems today, Bliznyuk specified. “Lots of component parts were manufactured at least 20 years ago.
Since then, the element base has been materially upgraded and its replacement is nearly always associated with the need to make various elaborations and hold additional tests of the aircraft,” Bliznyuk said.
According to the chief designer, elaboration and upgrade are aggravated by new economic requirements that specify holding tenders for buying equipment and R&D solutions. “All this delays the upgrade of the bombers,” Bliznyuk said.
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October 5, 2007 at 12:48 am