Video: What India Requires Beyond Su-57 Fighter Jets

The Tu-160M “White Swan” is the world’s fastest and longest-range strategic bomber, newly upgraded with advanced avionics, improved engines, and stealth-capable Kh-101/102 cruise missiles that can travel 5,500 km. From a base in central India, even one bomber could hit any target across Asia and return without needing to refuel. For India, inducting a modest fleet of six to eight Tu-160Ms would quietly finish the air-breathing leg of the nuclear triad, giving New Delhi the rapid, deep-strike capability currently possessed only by the US, Russia, and China. With Arihant submarines at sea and Agni missiles on land, the Tu-160M would offer a flexible, recallable deterrent — allowing far-off targets to be threatened within hours rather than days. Russia has resumed Tu-160M production and remains India’s most trusted defence partner, making a limited purchase or lease-to-own arrangement — ideally with technology sharing — a practical path to bringing this capability into IAF service by the early 2030s. It remains a realistic, high-impact option as India shapes its long-term strategic posture.