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Russia Tupolev
Tu-160
The world's largest and heaviest combat aircraft in service, a variable-geometry supersonic strategic bomber built to strike distant targets with cruise missiles. A modernized Tu-160M variant remains in low-rate production for the Russian Aerospace Forces.
In service since 1987 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
2,220
km/h
12,300
km range
15,000
m ceiling
40,000
kg payload
💲 ≈ $250,000,000 — Estimated cost for new-build Tu-160M
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Russian state channel
Rosoboronexport monopoly; Western sanctions exposure and payment/logistics risk for many buyers.
Channel: Rosoboronexport (state)
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 1987. Status: active · ~35 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$625M – $875M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~35 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 2,220 km/h Stronger than 81% of bombers
- Max speed (Mach)
Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.
- 2.05 Mach
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 917 km/h
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 12,300 km
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 15,000 m Stronger than 63% of bombers
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 2
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 40,000 kg Top 6% of bombers
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 54.1 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 55.7 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 13.1 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 110,000 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 267,600 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 4
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 4x Kuznetsov NK-32 afterburning turbofans
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 4
- Thrust
Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).
- 245 kN
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turbofan
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- Obzor-K radar, Sopka defensive suite
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $250,000,000
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 35 Stronger than 28% of bombers
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 44% of bombers
Specifications compiled from public Tupolev and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) H-6K Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Tupolev Tu-160? +
The Tupolev Tu-160 has a maximum speed of 2,220 km/h.
What is the range of the Tupolev Tu-160? +
The Tupolev Tu-160 has a maximum range of 12,300 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Tupolev Tu-160? +
The Tupolev Tu-160 can carry up to 40,000 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Tupolev Tu-160 weigh? +
The Tupolev Tu-160 has a combat weight of 267,600 kg.
How many crew does the Tupolev Tu-160 require? +
The Tupolev Tu-160 requires a crew of 4.
What engine does the Tupolev Tu-160 use? +
The Tupolev Tu-160 is powered by the 4x Kuznetsov NK-32 afterburning turbofans.
What is the Tupolev Tu-160 used for? +
The Tupolev Tu-160 is a bomber typically used for deep strike.
How many countries operate the Tupolev Tu-160? +
The Tupolev Tu-160 is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Tupolev Tu-160 cost? +
The Tupolev Tu-160 has an approximate unit cost of 250,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
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