The serial production will be launched in 2020, with two-three aircraft churned out yearly. The modernization will increase the aircraft’s lifespan for another 30 years. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov says the combat effectiveness of the Tu-160M2 will be 2.5 times higher than that of its predecessor. The process of manufacturing has already begun. Under the contract signed between the United Aircraft Corporation and the Defense Ministry, the Tu-160M2 plane is expected to perform its first flight in 2018.

The idea to restart the production of the Tu-160M2 strategic bomber in its modernized version was put forward by Defense Minister Shoigu in April 2015 during his visit to the Kazan Aviation Enterprise, a subsidiary of Tupolev Aircraft Company. In May that year, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave instructions to restart the production of these bombers. There are sixteen aging Tu-160 aircraft in the inventory. It is planned to have around fifty Blackjacks upgraded to version M2.

Specifications: a payload: up to 40,000 kg, an unrefueled range: 12,297 km, a maximum speed: 1,800 km/h, a maximum altitude: 19.3 kilometers (60,000 feet), flight endurance: 15 hours.

The armament suite includes Kh-101 and Kh-102 missiles. The Kh-101 is the conventional variant. It has been battle-tested in Syria. The Kh-102 is the nuclear-tipped variant. The maximum range is 5,500 km (3,418 miles), a cruise speed of 700-720 km/h (435-447 mi), a maximum speed of 970 km/h (603mi), and an endurance of flight: 10 hours. The conventional warhead would pack 400 kg (880lbs) of explosives. The nuclear warhead is thought be a 250KT device. A circular error probability of less than about 6 m (30 feet) at a maximum range.

The armament can also include the Kh-555 new-generation long-range winged missiles. The weapon is a new air-launched cruise missile with a conventional warhead based on the Kh-55 nuclear-armed cruise missile upgraded with Kh-101 technology. The nuclear warhead is replaced by a 500 kg class conventional warhead. The range of the Kh-555 to 2,500-3,000 km (1,553-1,864mi).

The weapons bays are also fitted with launchers for the Kh-15P, which has the NATO designation and codename AS-16 Kickback. The Kh-15P Kickback has solid rocket fuel propulsion, which gives a range up to 200km. The Kickback can be fitted with a conventional 250kg warhead or a nuclear warhead. The aircraft is also capable of carrying a range of aerial bombs with a total weight up to 40t.

The M2 variant looks from outside like its predecessor but essentially it’s a new plane.

The bomber will have new avionics, electronics, cockpit, communications and control systems and weapons. It will be highly computerized. The avionics systems include an integrated aiming, navigation and flight control system, with a navigation and attack radar, an electronic countermeasures system, and automatic controls. The Novella-NV1-70 phased-array radar, K-042K-1 duel-channel inertial navigation system and ABSU-200-1 autopilot are designed specifically for the Tu-160M2 variant.

Each of the Tu-160M2’s electronic units will be able to handle all tasks at hand, if need be. For example, the electronic warfare system will be able to assume the functions of other control systems. If a computer fails, the system allows the resources of the whole plane to be used for dealing with the problem.

The Tu-160MS2 will be powered by upgraded NK-32-02 engines with better endurance characteristics, which adds to the new bomber's range, increasing it by 1,000 kilometers (621miles) as compared with the existing version. The new version of engine features improved performance to allow the plane to cruise in stratosphere at an altitude of 18.3 kilometers (60,000 feet or 11.3 miles) beyond the enemy’s air defense systems reach.

The wing and fuselage are gradually integrated into a single-piece configuration. The airframe structure is based on a titanium beam, all-welded torsion box. Throughout the entire airframe, all the main airframe members are secured to the titanium beam. The variable geometry outer tapered wings sweep back from 20° to 65° in order to provide high-performance flight characteristics at supersonic and subsonic speeds. The tail surfaces, horizontal and vertical, are one piece and all-moving.

The Tu-160M2 does not feature stealth technology. Its mission is not to penetrate into enemy airspace and deliver its payload. Capable of speeds of over Mach 2.0, the bomber can rapidly take the position to launch long-range standoff cruise missiles.

The Tu-160M2 provides a credible deterrence against any potential aggressor. It will enable Russia to project military power to faraway regions, like Syria. With a fleet of highly capable Tu-160M2, Russia possesses the ability to meet multiple challenges at any time. The incredible speed and cruise missiles to deliver high precision strikes make the Tu-160M2 bomber a formidable weapon to ensure enhance Russia’s power projection capability.

Three ammunition depots and a command facility near the village of Uqayribat were destroyed. The aircraft flew from their base in southwestern Russia and launched the missiles at a distance of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the targets.

The ministry did not say how many aircraft took part in the attack, but said the strategic bombers had been escorted by Sukhoi-30SM fighters from Russia's airbase in Syria's Latakia province. This strike marked the sixth time that Russia has used the Kh-101 in combat.

A Tupolev-95MS (Bear) can carry eight such missiles at any one time. A Tu-160 bomber can carry 12 of them. Over 60 cruise-missile capable aircraft are in the inventory of Russia’s Long-Range Aviation. A Su-34 is a tactical aircraft which can carry two missiles of this type.

The Raduga can be equipped with high-explosive, penetrating, or cluster warhead. The conventional warhead would pack 880lbs (400 kg) of explosives. The Kh-102 variant can be fitted with a nuclear warhead – a 250KT device. The Kh-101 uses GLONASS, the Russian satellite navigation system, for trajectory correction and is reported to have an accuracy of five to six meters.

An effective range is up to 4,500 km. The long range enables it to strike targets deep inside the enemy’s territory without threat to the launch platform. The missile can be launched at the altitude from 3,000 up to 12,000 m.

A combat weight is 2,400 kg, including the warhead. The altitude of flight: 30 – 6000 m. Maximum deviation: 20 m. Accuracy for moving targets: up to 10 m. The highest accuracy is 5 m. It can accelerate to a maximum speed of 1,380 mph and climb to a maximum altitude of over 49,000 feet (15,000 meters).

With no booster, the ALCM has to be dropped to give it initial velocity. The Kh-101 has a variable flight profile at altitudes ranging from 30 – 70 m to 6000 m, a cruising speed: 190–200 m/s and a maximum speed: 250–270 m/s.

The Raduga boasts a low radar signature. With the “aerial torpedo" configuration, the radar cross-section is only about 0.01 square meters. The ALCM boasts swept wings and uses radar absorbing materials, conformal antennas, and other stealth technologies.

The missile would use a combination of inertial guidance and satellite navigation using the Russian GLONASS system. A flight trajectory can be corrected. An opto-electronic flight correction system is used instead of a radio altimeter. With its radar evading features, the missile flies at low altitudes, avoiding radars and hiding behind terrain.

During its terminal phase, the missile locates its target through a mix of coordinates and onboard image recognition, essentially matching an uploaded image of the target to what the missile sees in front of it. If all goes to plan, the payload is then guided straight to the target for a violent impact. Air defenses can be overwhelmed with multiple low flying Kh-101s coming from different directions and defeating air defenses at the weakest points. The Radugas can also fly circuitous routes to reach targets, avoiding radar and air defenses.

No other air force in the world has a weapon of such great range, offering great accuracy and stealth features. The Kh-101 exceeds any American analogue more than twice over. The firepower and mobility displayed on July 5 is a fearsome reminder of the increased Russian military capabilities. Another takeaway: with this air-to-surface strike capability Russia hardly needs to breach the INF Treaty, something the US has recently accused it of doing. It simply does not have to with such awesome strike power of its aircraft.

Modern Russian weapons have proven their reliability and efficiency in Syria, said Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Aircraft of strategic aviation used for the first time air-launched missiles Kh-101 with a range of up to 4,500 kilometers in real combat conditions," the minister added.

The new weapon was first fire-tested in Syria on November, 17, 2015.

That day, two Tu-160 strategic bombers took off from Engels air base near Saratov to launch 16 Raduga Kh-101 missiles against Islamic State positions.

It was the first combat debut for the new cruise missile, as well as the Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack as its delivery means. Russian and Soviet long-range cruise missile – capable strategic bombers had never been used in local wars before. The Tu-160 is the heaviest strategic combat aircraft ever built.

The Raduga Kh-101 was initially developed in versions fitted with a non-nuclear warhead (the Kh-101) and with a nuclear warhead (the Kh-102). The missile can be equipped with high-explosive, penetrating, or cluster warhead. The conventional warhead would pack 880lbs (400 kg) of explosives. The nuclear warhead is thought be a 250KT device.

The Kh-101 is integrated with the Tu-160 (twelve missiles), Tu-95MS16 (eight missiles), Tu-22M3/5 (four missiles) and Su-34 (two missiles) bombers. The weapon can be launched  by an aircraft at the altitude from 3,000 up to 12,000 m flying at a speed in the range of 900 km per hour. The weapon has no booster. It has to be dropped to give it initial velocity.

The maximum range is 5500 km (3418 miles), a cruise speed of 700-720 km/h, a maximum speed of 970 km/h, and an endurance of flight of 10 hours. Some sources even say that the maximum range is up to 10,000 km. The long range enables it to strike targets deep inside the enemy’s territory without threat to the launch platform. The bombers do not have to penetrate enemy airspace to any great extent. They can launch cruise missiles from stand-off distances.

The new missiles afford Russia’s bomber fleet a long-range precision strike capability that was until recently the sole purview of the US Air Force. The air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) has a combat weight of 2,400 kg (including a warhead of a length of 745 cm), and a speed of Mach 0.6-0.78. The altitude of flight is 30 – 6000 m. Maximum deviation of 20 meters. Accuracy for moving targets is up to 10 m. The highest accuracy of 5 m. It can accelerate to a maximum speed of 1,380 mph and climb to a maximum altitude of 49,235 feet.

The new cruise missile is believed to be able to correct its flight trajectory. It boasts a low radar signature. In particular, an opto-electronic flight correction system is used instead of a radio altimeter. The weapon with radar-evading stealth features poses unique threats because it can defeat defenses by flying at low altitudes, avoiding radars, and hiding behind terrain. Some newer cruise missiles have making them even less visible to radar or infrared detectors.

With the «aerial torpedo" configuration, the ALCM has a low radar cross-section of about 0.01 square meters. Raduga boasts swept wings and uses radar absorbing materials, conformal antennas, and other stealth technologies.

The ALCM uses a terrain map stored in its onboard computer, as well as a TV-seeker for the terminal stage of flight. The missile uses a combination of inertial guidance and satellite navigation using the Russian GLONASS system to weave the way to predetermined waypoints to avoid obstacles or air defenses. It might have an imaging infrared terminal guidance system. Hugging the topography of the Earth, it can travel at tree top levels to stay well below enemy radar. Preprogrammed geographical data and onboard sensors help the missile avoid collisions with terrain features or buildings.

The Kh-101 has a variable flight profile at altitudes ranging from 30 – 70 m to 6000 m, a cruising speed of 190–200 m/s and a maximum speed of 250–270 m/s. The ALCM is reported to have a circular error probability of less than about 6 m (30 feet) at the maximum range. During its terminal phase, the missile locates its target through a mix of coordinates and onboard image recognition, essentially matching an uploaded image of the target to what the missile sees in front of it. If all goes to plan, the payload is then guided straight to the target for a violent impact.

The Raduga’s specifications make it a very unique weapon. Nobody, even the United States, has an analogue. US aircraft are currently equipped noticeably more poorly: the operational range of the Russian Kh-101 exceeds any American analogues more than twice over. The combination of a strategic bomber and the highly accurate battle-tested missile with such a great range gives Russia the capability to strike any target in the world on short notice.