In 2006, Tupolev became a division of the United Aircraft Corporation in a merger with Mikoyan, Ilyushin, Irkut, Sukhoi, and Yakovlev by decree of the Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Tupolev's design approach in these two airplanes defined for many years the trends of heavy aircraft development, civil and military.

It, too, was based on the fuselage and structural design of the Tu-4, but with four colossal Kuznetsov NK-12 turboprop engines providing a unique combination of jet-like speed and long range.

In many respects the Soviet equivalent of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, it served as a strategic bomber and in many alternate roles, including reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare.

These allow the aircraft to have landing gears made up of many large low-pressure tires, which are invaluable for use on the poor quality runways that were common in the Soviet Union at the time.

With the end of the Cold War, research work was concentrated on subsonic civil aircraft, mainly on operating economics and alternative fuels.

The developments include fly-by-wire, use of efficient high-bypass turbofans and advanced aerodynamic layouts for the 21st century transport aircraft such as the Tu-204/Tu-214, Tu-330 and Tu-334.

On April 18, 2018 the staff of PJSC Tupolev received the gratitude of the President of Russia for their great contribution to the development of the aviation industry and the successes achieved in their work.

The high award was presented to Alexander Konyukhov, CEO of PJSC Tupolev, by Arkady Dvorkovich, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation.