Russia’s new supersonic Tu-160 passenger aircraft generates great interest globallyWealthy foreigners have already started ordering the Tu-160 civil supersonic aircraft. It is only a few companies in the world that can afford maintaining and operating such airliners, news agencies say.
Foreigners specialists evinced great interest in an opportunity to remake supersonic military aircraft Tu-160 and Tu-22 to transform them into civilian airplanes 15 years ago. As soon the Kazan aircraft-building plant announced the resumption of the production of the Tu-160, Russia’s defence export giant, Rosoboronexport received messages from an Arab sheik, a millionaire from Australia and a wealthy Greek citizen.
There will be no mass production of the Tu-160. The aircraft will be made for wealthy and busy individuals, who would be willing to pay enormous money for time-saving means of transportation.
It is worthy of note that the updated version of the Tu-160 strategic bomber, also known as the White Swan, has been recently unveiled as well. The new aircraft will pass into service in 2022, which raises concerns among US military experts, even though this is just another step that the Russian authorities have been taking within the scope of the large-scale program to rearm the Russian army.