Immediately on entering service, the Russian Air Force's graceful yet fearsome-looking Tu-160 Blackjack was nicknamed 'Pride of Nation', and the giant white bomber still retains this prestigious status. Despite this, the fleet is relatively small. Between 1984 and 2008 there were 35 Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjacks, including three prototypes, built at the factory formerly known as KAPO (Kazan Aircraft Production Enterprise) and today dubbed KAZ (Kazan Aircraft Plant). According to official Russian information exchanged under the START Ⅰ (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), by 2009 the Russian Air Force (RuAF) had 13 Tu-160s capable of delivering 160 Kh-55SM (AS-15B Kent) nuclear-tipped air-launched cruise missiles (ALCMs). Another aircraft was converted as a test platform and two others had been cycled through their general airframe and system overhauls at the Kazan plant.
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