MOSCOW – The modernized version of the Tu-160 strategic bomber willstrengthen Russia’s nuclear triad, President Vladimir Putin said afterwitnessing the world’s largest combat plane in the air.

The revival of the Tupolev Tu-160 is *“a serious step in the development ofthe high-tech industry and in strengthening the defense capabilities of ourcountry because this is one of the elements of our nuclear triad in theair,”* Putin said after the test flight of the nuclear-capable supersonicbomber in Kazan on Thursday. The country’s ‘nuclear triad’ is usuallycomprised of strategic aviation, intercontinental ballistic missiles, andnuclear submarines.

The staff of the Kazan Aviation Factory invited the president to fly aboardthe modernized bomber in a year and a half when all the tests are completed.

Putin mentioned that he had already taken to the air in the previousmodification of the aircraft, pointing out that the new version *“onlylooks like the Tu-160 I flew (in 2005), but it’s a completely differentmachine and the prospects of its development are huge.”*

One of the prospects, according the head of state, might be a civiliansupersonic aircraft based on the Tu-160. Despite the commercial failure ofRussia’s Tu-144 and British-French Concorde passenger supersonic jets inthe past, Putin expressed confidence that large air carriers nowadays willbe capable of effectively operating the expensive supersonic planes.

The Tu-160, which NATO designates as ‘Blackjack,’ is the largest combataircraft in the world, with maximum takeoff weight of around 275 tons.Equipped with variable-sweep wings, which it wedges against the fuselagewhen switching to supersonic speed, the bomber can cover a distance of morethan 12,000 kilometers without refueling.

The modernized version of the Tu-160 with new engine and digital onboardequipment was rolled out of the hangar in November last year. The bombersare expected to hit the production line in the early 2020s. The DefenseMinistry plans to purchase at least 50.