Russia’s modernised missile-carrying bomber Tu-160M conducted its first test flight, Russian aerospace and defence company Tupolev reported on February 2.
“On 2 February 2020, the first flight of the first deeply modernised Tu-160M prototype bomber based on the Tu-160 combat aircraft took place at the KAZ airfield named after S. P. Gorbunov, a branch of PJSC Tupolev”, the press service said.
“During the flight, the necessary checks were performed on updated systems and equipment installed as part of the deep modernisation of the aircraft. According to the crew, the flight went as normal, the systems and equipment worked without any remarks.”
The flight was carried out at an altitude of 1,500 metres and lasted 37 minutes.
Deliveries of the modernised strategic bombers to the Russian Aerospace Forces are expected to begin in 2021.
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I mistakenly had it in my head that the white swans didn’t carry as big a payload as the US B52 when in actual fact they carry 20,000lbs more
US bombers have to carry a burger bar and an ice-cream machine.
Can they launch Alabuga and other radio-electronic missiles?
Goody, goody more Putz Putin military expenditures the RF can’t afford especially with falling oil prices. Yet another step closer to their bankruptcy. But look on the bright side, the Putz can go stay with his Soviet buddies in the dust bin of history.
Go read up what “bankruptcy” means. Here’s a hint: It deals with ability to repay debt. Then have a look at Russia’s debt-to-GDP ratio. You may also want to have a look at the economic situation in the Soviet Union prior to its collapse and how diametrically opposite the economic and spending policies were then, compared to those of today’s Russia. And as for your comment on the oil price – have a look at the Russian markets (RTS and MOEX) over the last few weeks. Initial drop and then again steady growth – nothing like what we saw in 2014. Oh, and by the way, the RTS was the best performing stock index in the world in 2019 – go check it out if you don’t believe me. There is no doubt that factors such as sanctions and russophobia have caused a below potential growth of the Russian economy, but they have maintained uninterrupted positive growth nevertheless since the end of 2016/beginning 2017. Clearly their military spending remains well within what their economy can afford.
LOL…you only wish. The RF can’t afford Putz Putin’s Greater Russia Follies. It can ill afford a new arms race with the US. And this without the draconian sanctions the US can place in them. Nor the effects on the RF’s economy when the US has it kicked out of its global financial, currency and trade institutions and markets. Oh, and the lowering of oil prices by the US with increased production and it’s having its oil allies do the same. Do note that the RF’s real GDP is down at least a third over the past several years, even since the US put just mild sanctions on. And it is far from a world class economic power. Damn, my one US State of California now has a real GDP almost twice that of the RF while both Texas and New York each have real GDP’s greater than all of Glorious Mother Russia with all its oil and gas. No, Russia cannot afford Putz Putin’s Follies and an arms race with the US.
I “only wish”? What I posted is the actual situation over the last few years, not your ridiculous wet dreams of what if’s.
No wet dream that the RF real GDP is down a third over the past several years and has only gained back a small fraction of what it lost since sanctions were imposed. And I posted the fact that the real GDP of Russia is not in the major league of world economies with even 3 US states having greater economies than the RF. Next you’ll tell me about all those gold reserves Russia is buying. Damn, soon they will have almost a quarter of what the US has. Oh, Russia is already spending a higher proportion of its real GDP on its military than the US but the US spends more than ten times as much. Sure Russia can afford its delusions of empire and compete in a new arms race with the US without going bankrupt. Well, they might be able to last if the bulk of the Russian People want to live like most folk in North Korea. Get real!
What are you talking about? After the global economic crises of 2008, Russia’s real GDP growth only dipped negative briefly between 2014 and 2016, and during that time there was only one quarter where it reached -3%. Since beginning 2017 it has never gone negative again. On average the growth rate (not the absolute number – that continues to expand) is leveling off and real GDP is not growing at the very high rate that it maintained between 1998 and 2008, but it is still growing. There is also a good reason why economists compare countries using PPP rather than nominal or real GDP, but in this case it doesn’t matter which one you use: None of them reduced by “a third over the past several years”, like you claim. Whether Russia’s real GDP can be compared with that of the US is completely irrelevant to the discussion – you wrote, and I quote: “Yet another step closer to their bankruptcy”. There is absolutely no indication that they are heading towards bankruptcy. While their military spending is high, it is still well within what their economy can afford. Modernizing their Tu-160s or buying 76 Su-57’s over a period of 8 years is not going to suddenly make them go bankrupt.
A few years ago, 10% of their GDP was spent on national security. It shifted from 50/50 of defence spending, to 40% of defence spending going to military, the other 60% to internal troops (MVD, National Guard, Border Guard) and intelligence services (FSB, SVR).
And yet they modernized faster in 7 years between 2013-2019, compared to a period of 21 years between 1991-2012.
I would argue the Russophobia is mostly aimed at the present Russian bureaucracy, hardly the Russian people themselves and other ethnicities in Russia.