Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to unleash a supersonic bomber towards Britain which can outrun the Royal Air Force ’ s fastest fighter jets . The introduction of the Blackjack follows sorties by other Russian aircraft near Cornwall last month which disrupted commercial flights and sparked major security fears . On that occasion , RAF pilots flying Typhoon jets easily caught up with two propeller-driven Bear bombers and directed their crews away from UK airspace . Scroll down for video . The top speed is the same ... but our range is less : British Typhoon compared to the Russian Blackjack . The incident led to Russia ’ s ambassador to Britain being summoned to the Foreign Office to explain the mission . But the Blackjack ( Tu-160M ) is three times faster than the Bear and can fly four times further than the fighters that make up Britain ’ s Quick Reaction Alert ( QRA ) squadrons , according to experts . The bomber , also known as the White Swan because of its shape and huge wingspan , has just re-entered service in the Russian air force following a design overhaul . Experts say it is now more than a match for any UK aircraft , including the Typhoon , which is used to protect British airspace . Like the Blackjack , the Typhoon can reach Mach 2 – about 1,500mph . Russian President Vladimir Putin ( pictured ) has prioritised areas of defence where he thinks he can be superior to the West , according to experts . But while the Russian aircraft has a range of 7,600 miles without refuelling , the Typhoon ’ s limit is 1,800 miles , meaning the Blackjack could maintain its maximum speed for much longer than its British counterpart without air-to-air refuelling . Dr Igor Sutyagin , Senior Russian Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute ( RUSI ) in London , said : ‘ The Tu-160M now has greater thrust and fuel efficiency and it can carry a larger payload of conventional missiles . ‘ The test flights were successful and the aircraft is now very potent . There is simply no British aircraft of its calibre or purpose . It is the largest bomber in the world. ’ The first two revamped Blackjacks passed a series of test flights last December and have now been passed for service . They are being prepared for possible action at air bases in Russia that are within easy striking distance of Britain . One , Monchegorsk air base near Murmansk , northern Russia , is just 1,000 miles from the British Isles . Ten more Blackjacks will be modernised before 2020 . Dr Sutyagin added that the Blackjacks ’ revamp was part of a plan by President Putin to boost both Russia ’ s arsenal of military hardware and its troop numbers . It comes at a time of heightened tension between Russia and the West , and while Britain ’ s Armed Forces are shrinking due to spending cuts . ‘ President Putin has prioritised areas of defence where he thinks he can be superior to the West , ’ said Dr Sutyagin . ‘ He has also improved his long-range nuclear missiles such as the Bulava , which is now very hard to detect on launch . It is lighter and more compact , too , so more warheads can be fitted into a submarine . 'He has also committed to the T-50 low-visibility jet . This stealth jet could lead to potentially massive changes in the distribution of military power around the world . 'He is doubling the number of his Special Forces troops , as well. ’ An RAF Typhoon aircraft from Number XI Squadron shadows a Russian Bear-H aircraft ( file picture ) Between now and 2020 , the size of the Spetsnaz ( Special Forces ) regiments will increase from 15,000 to 32,000 . Trained to the same level as Britain ’ s Special Air Service ( SAS ) , they were used in Chechnya and , most recently , in eastern Ukraine where they are understood to have organised a guerilla campaign by Russian separatists . Experts also believe Putin could send the Spetsnaz to the Baltic states of Latvia and Lithuania , both Nato members , to organise resistance among ethnic Russians . Dr Sutyagin added : ‘ Military activity in Crimea and eastern Ukraine has borne all the hallmarks of the special Russian units – it would be a mistake to believe the same tactics might not be applied elsewhere. ’ The Ministry of Defence ( MoD ) has been following the Blackjack and Russian stealth-jet programmes . But while the Typhoon can not match the Blackjack ’ s range , RAF sources insist it is a superior aircraft overall given its set of air-to-air weapons and its agility . An MoD spokesman said : ‘ The primary role of the Royal Air Force is to defend the UK . We are aware of recent Russian military activity . 'RAF Typhoon fighters will continue to routinely intercept , identify and escort Russian aircraft that travel through international airspace within the UK ’ s area of interest . ’
Russian President Putin is about to unleash a new supersonic bomber . The Blackjack will be able to outrun the world 's fastest fighter jets . Last month Russian Bear aircraft were spotted on sorties near Cornwall . But Blackjack is five times faster than the Bear and can fly four times further than the fighters that make up UK 's Quick super Alert squadrons . The Russian ##jack has a range of 300 miles without obstacles .