Two Tu-160s this year

Russia’s Long-Range Aviation Will Receive Two Tu-160 Airplanes During This Year

Russia’s long-range aviation will receive two Tu-160 airplanes during this year, the commander of the 37th Air Army of the Supreme High Command (Strategic), General-Lieutenant Igor’ Khvorov, reported on 15 April. According to him, the first aircraft will be delivery the end of April or the beginning of May.

This upgraded airplane is a precision weapons carrier. Improved avionics are installed on it, including a space communications complex. Khvorov noted that this Tu-160 does not require retraining of the flight crews.

The second airplane, I. Khvorov noted, will required crews retraining. According to the general, training of the airmen for this Tu-160 will be organized at the training center in Ryazan’.

Touching on the long-range aviation command and staff exercises which have ended in the Far East, I. Khvorov noted that they demonstrated the high reliability and precision of missile weapons.

According to him, during the exercises, four cruise missiles were launched on 14 April, including two by airplanes of the 326th heaving bombing aviation division and two by the 222nd aviation division. All four missiles struck the targets.

Source: 17.04.06, ARMS-TASS

The second Tu-160 will require crew retraining, but the first, upgraded model won’t? Does this mean the second aircraft will be more advanced than the first?