Editing Variable-sweep wing (section)

===Obsolescence===
[[File:2013 Moscow Victory Day Parade (57).jpg|thumb|A [[Tupolev Tu-160]] of the [[Russian Air Force|RuAF]] ]]
A variable-sweep wing was selected as the winning design used by [[Boeing]]'s entry in the [[Federal Aviation Administration|FAA]]'s study for a [[supersonic transport]], the [[Boeing 2707|2707]]. However it evolved through several configurations during the design stage, finally adding a canard, and it eventually became clear that the design would be so heavy that it would be lacking sufficient payload for the fuel needed. The design was later abandoned in favor of a more conventional tailed [[delta wing]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/b2707-design.htm | title=Boeing 2707 SST }}</ref>

The advent of [[relaxed stability]] flight control systems in the 1970s negated many of the disadvantages of a fixed-wing configuration. No new variable-sweep wing aircraft have been built since the Tu-160.

In 2015, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced plans to restart Tu-160 production, citing the aging of the current aircraft and likely protracted development of its eventual replacement, the [[PAK DA]] project.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/russia-to-reestablish-tu-160-supersonic-bomber-production-411778/|title=Russia to reestablish Tu-160 supersonic bomber production line|first=Beth|last=Stevenson|work=Flightglobal|date=30 April 2015|access-date=20 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151217015929/https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/russia-to-reestablish-tu-160-supersonic-bomber-production-411778/|archive-date=17 December 2015|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Production restarted in 2021, marking the first new variable sweep airframes to be produced in 29 years.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://tass.ru/en/russia/797164|title=Putin made decision to revive production of Tu-160M strategic bomber — Air Force commander|agency=TASS|date=28 May 2015|access-date=20 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623210821/http://tass.ru/en/russia/797164|archive-date=23 June 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Вновь изготовленный Ту-160М совершил первый полет |url=https://rostec.ru/news/vnov-izgotovlennyy-tu-160m-sovershil-pervyy-polet/ |access-date=2023-05-04 |website=rostec.ru}}</ref>