Big aperture rus

The B-1B is no longer able to fight inside heavily defended airspace, but the aircraft will still have a role in the high-end fight as a standoff cruise missile carrier--using weapons like the JASSM-ER and LRASM. Ironically, that means that during a high-end fight it Big aperture rus have a role similar to Big aperture rus Russian Tu The Tuwhile it looks similar to the B-1B--is a very different aircraft.

By contrast, the B-1B weighs in at ,lbs. The Tus primary armament has always been long-range cruise missiles like the KhMS--of which it can carry a dozen. In recent months however, the Russians have used the conventional version Kh version of the cruise missile against targets in Syria alongside much more advanced and stealthy Kh cruise missile.

However, the tradeoff was that the B-1B sacrificed high-altitude, high speed performance as a result. While the B-1A had a top speed of over Mach 2. In place of the nuclear capability, the bomber was given a new conventional role starting with Conventional Mission Upgrade Program. As part of the effort, the bomber was fitted with enhanced synthetic aperture radar capability and the ability to carry precision-guided munitions. In the intervening years since Sept.

As such, the Tu is much larger and much faster than the B-1B--with a maximum takeoff weight of over ,lbs and top speed greater than Mach 2.

Dave Majumdar is the defense editor for The National Interest. You can follow him on Twitter: davemajumdar.

The aircraft also carries the nuclear-tipped Kh In the near future, the Russians hope to restart production of the much improved TuM2 version of the Blackjack. The improved aircraft will is a stopgap until Russia can complete development of the new PAK-DA stealth bomber.

The Rockwell International B-1B Lancer strategic bomber and the Russian Tu Blackjack look visually similar and even share some overlap in their mission sets, however, the two aircraft are quite different. The B-1A was originally designed as a high-altitude supersonic penetrator before the Carter administration cancelled the program in after it Big aperture rus apparent that the new bomber would not be able to survive against new Soviet air defenses.

Instead, the Carter Adminstration emphasized ballistic missiles and authorized the development of what would eventually become the Northrop Grumman B-2A Spirit stealth bomber. However, the development of the stealth bomber was not made public and would remain classified for years to come. President Ronald Reagan resurrected the supersonic bomber as the B-1B. Instead of penetrating at Big aperture rus altitude, the new Big aperture rus would be optimized for low altitude penetration using a combination of speed, terrain masking and reduced radar cross section.

The Soviet Union designed the Blackjack primarily as Big aperture rus means to deliver a nuclear strike during World War Three. However, the Big aperture rus designed the jet mainly as a means to deliver nuclear-tipped cruise missiles--though the aircraft retained the ability to do low-level Big aperture rus.