2017: preparations for Tu-160 bomber production in progress.

[Stratofreighter]

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articl ... ction.html

Tupolev Restoring Key Technologies for Tu-160M2 Bomber Production

MOSCOW --- The aircraft plant in Kazan has started restoring the key technologies in the interest of producing the upgraded Tu-160 (NATO reporting name: Blackjack) strategic bomber.

A schedule has been approved for the manufacturing of the most important part of the future aircraft - the titanium main longitudinal beam.

Experts point to the significance of the fact and remind that the shop had been virtually wiped out
following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The company admits that many of its facilities have been neglected, according to the BUSINESS Online news portal.

The Kazan Aircraft Plant, an affiliate of Tupolev, has started restoring a unique technology
- the annealing and welding of titanium parts by means of the ELU-24 electron beam welding and UVN-45 annealing units.

The welding of titanium ("lassen van titanium") on a large scale is not a very regular procedure....
See
http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articl ... ction.html
for more on the efforts to restart the Tupolev Tu-160 building programme.