Tu-160 Blackjack

Cold War tribute week continues with the heaviest, most powerful combat aircraft ever created, the Tu-160 Blackjack supersonic bomber. With a 14,000km range, it was the U.S.S.R.'s analog to America's B1-B bomber. Its anti-flash white paint was designed to reflect most nuclear thermal radiation in order to protect the bomber and its occupants.

When the U.S.S.R. broke up, some of the small Soviet fleet that was on Ukrainian soil became Ukrainian property. But after years of neglect and disuse, Ukraine gave them back to Russia in exchange for forgiveness of millions of dollars of debt from natural gas imports. Today, the Russian fleet numbers little more than a dozen, and almost definitely less than 21.

Blackjack!



CKY