Strategic bomber- a combat aircraft capable of carrying aircraft weapons (air bombs, cruise and ballistic missiles), including nuclear weapons, designed to carry out bombing and/or missile attacks on strategically significant targets located on the territory of a hostile state, usually outside the main theaters of military operations , with the aim of undermining its military and industrial potential. Unlike tactical bombers, designed to destroy enemy targets (mobile and stationary equipment, tactical bases and personnel) in the theater of operations, strategic bombers, as a rule, have:

• intercontinental flight range, increased combat load weight, which has the most powerful destructive effect;
• more comfortable living conditions for the crew, in order to maintain their performance during a long flight (in combat duty mode).

In peacetime, weapons (especially nuclear missiles) carried by strategic bombers are extremely dangerous for states that are potential adversaries and actually deter “warmongers”... Strategic bombers, unlike tactical ones, are more versatile, but also more expensive, they are capable of destroying factories , power plants, highways, bridges, dams, important agricultural facilities, military installations and entire cities, both in the theater of operations and outside it, in particular on another continent. Currently, only Russia and the United States have combat aircraft of this class.

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  A bomber is usually called strategic only when it has an intercontinental range (over 5000 km) and is capable of using nuclear weapons. For example, aircraft such as the Tu-22M, Tu-16 and B-47 are capable of using strategic nuclear weapons, but do not have an intercontinental flight range, and therefore are often called long-range bombers. (In fact, this use of the term “long-range bombers” is incorrect, since such bombers, not having an intercontinental flight range, are otherwise technically also strategic bombers. That is, intercontinental and so-called “long-range” bombers are nothing more than two subclasses of strategic bombers.)

  However, due to the uncertainty of the criteria on the one hand, and the political situation on the other, some countries may call not only technically strategic, but tactical and operational-tactical bombers strategic (Xian H-6A - Chinese Air Force, Vickers 667 Valiant - British Air Force, Mirage 2000N - French Air Force, FB-111 - US Air Force). In the latter cases, this is often caused by the use (including planned) of technically tactical and operational-tactical bombers as strategic ones. Sometimes the use of tactical and operational-tactical bombers as strategic bombers is advisable if strategic targets on enemy territory are within the reach of tactical and operational-tactical strike aircraft.

  Story

  Strategic aviation (including strategic bomber aviation), in the full sense of the term, began to actively develop in the early years of the Cold War. Nevertheless, long-range heavy bombers from the Second World War are rightfully classified as strategic bombers:

  • USAF B-17, B-24 and B-29
  • Royal Air Force Lancaster bombers.
  • Soviet Il-4 and Pe-8.

  Actually, these aircraft were then used as strategic bombers. The Soviet Tu-4, by the nature of its combat use, was also a strategic bomber.

  During World War II, intercontinental bomber projects began to appear. In Germany and Japan, there were plans to use such bombers for raids on the United States from Europe and Asia, respectively (see Amerika Bomber and Nakajima G10N). In the USA, in turn, a project was being developed for an intercontinental bomber for raids on Germany in the event of the fall of England - as a result of the further development of this project, mass production of the first “real” strategic bomber B-36 began in the second half of the 1940s. The B-36, being a piston aircraft, soon became quite vulnerable to rapidly improving jet fighters, despite its very high flight altitude for those years. Nevertheless, for a number of years the B-36 formed the backbone of the US strategic nuclear force.

  The further development of this type of military equipment proceeded at a rapid pace. After some time, strategic bombers, usually equipped with nuclear weapons, were constantly on combat duty, providing conditions for mutually assured destruction in the event of war. The main post-war requirement for a strategic bomber, which aircraft designers sought to fulfill, was the ability of the aircraft to deliver nuclear weapons to the territory of a potential enemy and return back. Main [ ] such aircraft during the Cold War were the American Boeing B-52 Stratofortress and the Soviet Tu-95.

  Supersonic strategic bombers

  The pinnacle of this doctrine is the American “Valkyrie” XB-70A and its Soviet counterpart, the T-4 (“weaving”).

  The inconsistency of the doctrine became clear with the advent of air defense systems, such as the S-75, which confidently hit targets such as the U-2 super-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. Production of the B-58 was curtailed, and the first carrier-based strategic bomber, the A-5, was converted into a reconnaissance aircraft.

  At this new stage of weapons development, high speed was still required from the strategic bomber, but no longer as a means of overcoming air defense, but as a means of reducing flight time - the duration of arrival at the point of attack. To overcome air defense, it was planned, for example, to fly at an ultra-low altitude.

  The B-52 and Tu-160 strategic bombers, developed in the mid-20th century, are still in service. They are timeless. Both aircraft repeatedly participated in combat operations.

  During the Cold War era, the United States and the Soviet Union spent several decades intimidating each other with the threat of destroying the enemy with nuclear weapons. Millions of people and countless resources were spent on developing and deploying weapons systems equipped with the latest technology to ensure the complete destruction of an enemy state should the Cold War become hot.

  During this arms race, both sides developed bombers capable of crossing oceans and continents to drop nuclear bombs directly on enemy territory. Subsequently, when this became impossible due to the improvement of air defense systems, missiles began to be placed on these aircraft to be launched as close as possible to the target. It seems incredible that some of these engineering marvels from the 1950s to 1970s are still flying today, 26 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War they were designed to fight.

  The grandchildren of their first pilots sit at the controls of some aircraft, and these devices do not lose their effectiveness. They are being modernized so as not to be removed from service, for example, the American B-52 or the Russian Tu-95 (Bear - “Bear” according to NATO classification), or their production is being resumed to produce new models, in particular, the Russian Tu-160. The giants of the Cold War will remain with us for many years, some of them will last more than a hundred years, which is an eternity for an airplane.

  Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

  The contract for the development of the B-52 strategic bomber was concluded in 1946, the first flight of this device took place on April 15, 1952, and in 1955 it was put into service with the US Air Force. After 62 years, this modernized and modified aircraft continues to fly and participate in combat operations. The B-52 Stratofortress (flying fortress) was developed as an intercontinental jet bomber carrying unguided nuclear bombs to attack cities and strategically important infrastructure of the USSR.

  © RIA Novosti, Skrynnikov

  Nuclear bombs have never been dropped from these aircraft, which have been used for operational and tactical purposes in all armed conflicts involving the United States since the 1965 Vietnam War. But they dropped thousands of tons of unguided and guided bombs with conventional charges, and now they continue to roam the skies, sometimes piloted by the grandchildren of their first commanders. Among themselves, the pilots call this bomber Buff. This is an acronym formed from the words Big Ugly Fat Fucker (big, ugly, fat guy).

  The length of the aircraft is 48.5 meters, the wingspan is 56.4 meters, the wing area is 370 square meters. The height of the vertical stabilizer is 12.4 meters, the empty weight of the aircraft is 83.25 tons, the maximum take-off weight is 220 tons, which allows it to carry 31.5 thousand kilograms of weapons and 181 thousand liters of fuel.

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  The bomber has swept wings (sweep angle of 35 degrees), from which hang four twin compartments with TF-33 turbojet engines manufactured by Pratt & Whitney. The device can reach a maximum speed of 1046 km/h (650 mph or Mach 0.86). The maximum flight range without in-flight refueling is 14 thousand kilometers (the ferry range is more than 16 thousand kilometers), but when refueling in the air, the maximum flight range depends on the endurance of the crew. The plane can fly at altitudes of up to 15.24 thousand meters. The crew consists of five people (commander, co-pilot, navigator, radio operator-gunner and electronics engineer), although sometimes it also included gunners to fire anti-aircraft guns removed from the vehicle in its latest modifications.

  Designed to carry a large bomb load, the B-52 is equipped with a large internal cargo bay and four underwing weapon systems, allowing the vehicle to carry a variety of unguided and guided bombs (nuclear, cluster and conventional), as well as air-to-surface missiles, designed to strike both ground and surface targets, mines, electronic suppression systems with a total weight of up to 31.5 tons. A total of 744 aircraft were built in eight modifications (from A to H), the last aircraft left the factory floor on October 26, 1962.

  As new models of the bomber were developed, its design and the electronic equipment installed on board were improved, and the structure of the tail section was changed, including the location of the tail machine guns (which were later removed from the device). The aircraft were also equipped with new target designators, electronic warfare systems, and modified engine models with higher power and lower fuel consumption. Currently, the US Air Force has about 70 B-52 bombers in full combat readiness, and another 20 are in reserve. All devices belong to modification H and have been modernized to extend their service life.

  The first combat missions of these aircraft, originally designed for participation in nuclear war, were the so-called carpet bombing using unguided conventionally charged bombs (during the Vietnam War) similar to those used during World War II. Throughout the American Gulf War, B-52s carried out high-altitude bombing missions as well as low-altitude strikes, including missile strikes.

  Today, American strategic bombers are used in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq as high-altitude support aircraft using guided munitions. Due to their combat radius and high survivability, these vehicles are ideal “flying arsenals” for dropping guided bombs (laser-guided or GPS) on command from the ground. Equipping aircraft with the Litening module since 2007 has made it possible to use them to perform the above-mentioned tasks. In addition, the B-52 can be used for maritime patrols and can carry mines or Harpoon missiles. The speed and range of the bomber allows it to fly over vast areas during search operations.

  During the B-52's long service, at least 11 aircraft were lost in crashes, including a B-52G that collided with a KC-135 Stratotanker over the Spanish village of Palomares, Almeria, on January 17, 1966. Four thermonuclear bombs on board the bomber fell to the ground, causing radiation contamination of the area. Another 30 aircraft were lost during the Vietnam War: at least ten of them were shot down by the enemy, and five were so seriously damaged that they could hardly reach Allied airfields. In turn, the gunners of two B-52D aircraft shot down two MiG-21 fighters with their tail machine guns. Currently, B-52s continue to fly combat missions in Syria and Iraq, striking the positions of terrorist groups, including the Islamic State, and performing “show of force” flights in high-risk areas. international tensions: the Baltics, Eastern Europe or the South China Sea.

  The last B-52 aircraft produced has been in service for 55 years and has tens of thousands of flight hours, but the aircraft's 1950s-style design and repeated upgrades and modifications allow them to remain in service for many years to come. This is precisely what the new proposal to replace the engines of American bombers, their weakest link, is aimed at. The US Air Force has requested about ten million dollars to study options to replace the latest version of the TF-33 Pratt & Whitney engines with the most modern power plants, which should reduce the cost of operating the aircraft (cost per flight hour, fuel consumption) and increase flight range.

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  The cost of improving the B-52 bomber fleet, including rebuilding the cargo bay to allow it to be loaded with guided munitions, is $227 million. Between 2018 and 2020, it is expected to spend $1.34 billion on modernizing radar installations and equipping devices with new systems. The US Air Force intends to continue operating the Buffs until 2040, when the aircraft will be 100 years old. And he will continue to bomb.

  Tu-160 "White Swan"

  The Soviet equivalent of the American B-52 was essentially the swept-wing Tu-95 turboprop strategic bomber, designed to perform the same combat missions in the same era, which also continues to operate today. But a more interesting example in terms of modernization is, without a doubt, the successor of this aircraft - the Tu-160 “White Swan” (Blackjack - “Blackjack” according to NATO classification). This aircraft belongs to the next generation of bombers, and it is truly worthy of respect.

  The Tu-160, whose development began on a competitive basis in 1972, was supposed to become a competitor to the American XB-70 Valkyrie or B-1A models, which were never put into service. As part of this mission, the Tupolev Design Bureau created a monster: the world's largest and heaviest combat aircraft with variable wing geometry, capable of reaching speeds twice the speed of sound, and the world's fastest bomber currently in service. All this was so expensive that today there are only 16 of these devices left that can be used. But they have such potential that the Russian Ministry of Defense plans to resume production of this aircraft.

  In appearance, the Tu-160 resembles an enlarged version of the American Rockwell B-1 Lancer aircraft. The Russian bomber is larger than its American counterpart (length - 54.1 meters compared to 44.5 meters; maximum wingspan - 55.7 meters compared to 41.8 meters), it is heavier (maximum take-off weight - 275 tons compared to 216 tons), faster (maximum speed - Mach 2 compared to Mach 1.25), can carry more weapons in the cargo bay (40 tons compared to 34 tons). It was developed as a missile carrier, the cargo compartments are equipped with two drum launchers, each of which can carry six X-55 cruise missiles (with conventional and nuclear charges and a range of up to 2.5 thousand kilometers) or 12 X-15 aeroballistic hypersonic missiles (nuclear or anti-ship) short range (up to 300 kilometers).

  The maximum flight range of the Tu-160 without in-flight refueling is 12.3 thousand kilometers, the combat radius is about 7 thousand kilometers, it is equipped with an aerial refueling receiver boom, which is used in rare cases. The maximum flight altitude is 15 thousand meters. Although the aircraft was not built using Stealth technology, a number of design features reduce its radar signature, for example, compared to the B-52.

  In April 1987, the 184th Guards Poltava-Berlin Red Banner Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment in Priluki (on the territory of the Ukrainian SSR) was equipped with Tu-160 bombers, but after the release of 36 devices, the collapse of the Soviet Union occurred, which influenced the further fate of the Tu-160.

  After the USSR ceased to exist in 1991, Ukraine nationalized all Armed Forces located on its territory. At the airfield in Priluki there were 19 “White Swans”, which were appropriated by Ukraine, although most of the pilots and aircraft technicians chose to go to Russia.

  In the 90s, these aircraft gradually failed due to the lack of necessary repair and maintenance services. Russia and Ukraine were negotiating the possible sale of these aircraft. Ukraine did not need them, but the requested price (about $3 billion) was too high for Moscow. After much wrangling and the disposal of one device under the treaty on nuclear disarmament of Ukraine, the parties came to an agreement: taking into account the write-off of part of the gas purchase debt, Russia had to pay Ukraine $285 million for eight Tu-160s, which are in the best condition, three Tu-95MS and 575 Kh-55M missiles. After the necessary training, from November 1999 to February 2001, the Tu-160s were relocated to a Russian airbase near the city of Engels, Saratov region.

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  The 121st Guards Sevastopol Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, based at the airfield near Engels, already had six Tu-160 aircraft, to which were added eight more bombers transferred by Ukraine, and several aircraft that were being completed by the Russian Ministry of Defense after the collapse of the USSR. After a number of plane crashes and the commissioning of new missile carriers, there are now 16 Tu-160s (in the Tu-160M ​​modification) in service with the Russian Air Force, although only 11 of them are believed to be in a state of full combat readiness. These devices carried out demonstration flights in South America (in 2008 in Venezuela and in 2013 in Colombia). In November 2015, Tu-160 bombers took part in combat operations for the first time, carrying out cruise missile strikes against targets in Syria.

  Considering the power and potential of these aircraft, it is not surprising that the Russian Ministry of Defense wanted to increase the Tu-160 fleet. An idea emerged to resume production of these aircraft (one aircraft every two to three years) and increase their number to 30 by 2030-2040. The missile carriers will be produced in the Tu-160M2 modification and, according to official data, will be equipped with 60% new components, including new power plants, which should increase the Tu-160’s flight range by approximately a thousand kilometers and flight altitude to 18 thousand meters.

  It is planned to integrate the latest high-precision instruments into the aircraft’s on-board system, which will allow shooters to use “smart” ammunition, as well as radar systems and communications of the latest generation. Another important change will be the replacement of all Ukrainian-made equipment, since now, when relations between Russia and Ukraine are tense, its import is impossible. The resumption of production of the Tu-160 will slow down the implementation of the program for the development of a promising long-range aviation complex (PAK DA), but will extend the service life of the device, which in this case can remain in service for more than 50 years. And then no one will be able to say that the “old people” are good for nothing.

  InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively from foreign media and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial staff.

  December 23 is Russian Long-Range Aviation Day. It is armed with unique aircraft: strategic missile carriers of various types and flying tankers.

  Carrier Killer

  The Tu-22 long-range supersonic bomber with variable sweep wings is designed to destroy aircraft carriers: targeted or massed, that is, together with escort ships.

  To achieve this, the Tu-22 is capable of carrying up to three Kh-22 Burya cruise missiles. The missiles are also supersonic, long range. They fly at speeds of up to five thousand kilometers per hour, delivering thermonuclear warheads with a megaton capacity each. In principle, one “Storm” is enough to destroy any aircraft carrier, but aviation is used to doing everything with a reserve.

  When used over land, the bomber carries four X-15 hypersonic missiles to destroy high-value stationary targets with pre-known coordinates. The X-15 flies along a ballistic trajectory: it climbs to a height of up to 40 kilometers, and then dives onto the target at a speed of over five thousand kilometers per hour. The base warhead of the missile is nuclear, with a power of up to 300 kilotons. There is a version for destroying air defense system radars; it is guided by target radiation.

  The Russian Air Force currently operates the Tu-22M3. This is the third generation of a bomber developed half a century ago: from the first models, only the front landing gear and part of the cargo compartment, which contains a missile half-recessed into the fuselage, have been preserved. Tu-22 of the latest series have an on-board defensive complex with radio jamming stations and shooting traps. By 2020, it is planned to equip 30 bombers with new on-board electronics, adapted for the use of high-precision X-32 missiles.

  The famous Tu-144 owes its appearance to this bomber. In 1961, during an air parade in Tushino, Nikita Khrushchev, who was watching the flight of the Tu-22, asked the aircraft designer: “Andrei Nikolaevich, could you carry people instead of bombs?” Tupolev replied that work on a supersonic passenger aircraft was already underway.

  In the second half of the 90s, the Tupolev Design Bureau tried to create a supersonic business class aircraft for 10-12 passengers on the basis of a bomber. The project was closed because the Tu-22 engines did not comply with civilian environmental standards.

  Russian "Bear"

  The first domestic intercontinental bomber Tu-95 (NATO classification Bear) is the basis of Long-Range Aviation. The order for its production was given by Stalin, and the aircraft was adopted for service under Khrushchev. The first relied on bombs, the second preferred missiles. The Tu-95 is ultimately capable of carrying both.

  On the bomber, Russian pilots mastered refueling in the air, the Tu-95 delivered all nuclear and thermonuclear devices to the testing site - including the Tsar Bomba with a capacity of 60 megatons. The 27-ton bomb did not fit in the cargo compartment, so the bomb bay doors were removed and the ammunition flew to Novaya Zemlya, half sticking out of the fuselage.

  At the time of the explosion, the carrier aircraft was 45 kilometers away. All four engines stopped because of the electromagnetic pulse. The Tu-95 fell and started its engines: the first at seven thousand meters, the second at five... The bomber landed with three running engines. Upon inspection on the ground, it turned out that the fourth engine was badly burned and could not start at all.

  During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Tu-95s, replacing each other, patrolled over Spitsbergen - within the launch distance of an X-20 missile with a three-megaton thermonuclear warhead. Now the main armament of the Tu-95 is six Kh-55 cruise missiles, placed on a drum launcher in the cargo compartment. The aircraft is capable of carrying another 10 missiles under its wings. Aircraft are being re-equipped with the new X-101 missile, which can hit moving targets with an accuracy of up to two meters. At a distance of 10 thousand kilometers, the deviation of the missile from the target does not exceed 10 meters.

  Swan song

  The flagship of Russia's Long-Range Aviation is the supersonic missile carrier Tu-160. It is the largest supersonic aircraft in the history of military aviation and the heaviest bomber with a take-off weight of 275 tons. It is also unrivaled among variable-sweep wing aircraft. Because of its color and silhouette, Russian pilots romantically call the Tu-160 the “White Swan”. The unromantic NATO members called it Blackjack.

  The Lebed is armed with 12 Kh-55 cruise missiles in two drum launchers. The missile flies at a speed of 920 kilometers per hour at ultra-low altitude, skirting the terrain, and delivers a thermonuclear warhead with a capacity of 100 kilotons 2,500 kilometers away, which guarantees the destruction of the target. Also, Kh-555 missiles with a more advanced control system and, accordingly, greater hit accuracy can be suspended from the Tu-160 - the coefficient of possible missile deflection at a distance of two thousand kilometers is 20 meters.

  The bomber also carries bombs as a “second-stage weapon” - to finish off those that survived a missile strike. Total payload weight is 45 tons. The Tu-160 is capable of flying 14 thousand kilometers without refueling at a speed of 2230 kilometers per hour. Most aircraft in service have their own names in honor of outstanding pilots and aircraft designers.

  "Swans" periodically disturb the air defenses of NATO countries, unexpectedly appearing at their borders in various parts of the planet. The surprise is due to the fact that when the aircraft was created almost half a century ago, stealth technologies were incorporated into the design.

  Flying tanker

  The Il-78 refueling aircraft makes Russian aviation truly long-range. NATO gave him the name of the Phrygian king Midas, famous for his ability to turn everything he touched into gold. Contact with the Il-78 makes it possible for long-range and front-line aircraft to cover vast distances without landing. On July 30, 2010, two Tu-95s flew about 30 thousand kilometers over three oceans, refueling four times in the air and set a world record.

  The Il-78 has three refueling units: two under the wings, the third in the aft part of the fuselage on the right. Each pumps over two tons per minute. Within a radius of a thousand kilometers from the airfield, the tanker is capable of transferring 69 tons of fuel, simultaneously refueling one large Tu-95 type aircraft or two not very large bombers or fighters.

  To do this, the IL-78 produces 26 meters of hose with an openwork half-meter cone at the end. The pilot of the trailing aircraft must equalize the speed and hit the cone with the receiving rod. This operation requires pinpoint precision and high skill of both crews.

  MOSCOW. October 22 - RIA Novosti, Andrey Stanavov. The sweeping inscription "For ours!" on the cast-iron side of a bomb prepared for Syrian militants, a short wave of the signalman - and the 130-ton "carcass" gently taxis for takeoff with the whistling of turbines. Something similar has already happened. Field airfield in 1945, front-line Tu-2 bombers and the inscriptions “Across Berlin!” on "land mines" suspended under the wings. The oldest design bureau in Russia named after Andrei Tupolev turns 95 on Sunday. Within its walls, dozens of types of military and civilian aircraft have been developed, many of which have become world legends. RIA Novosti publishes a selection of the best attack aircraft of the outstanding aircraft designer.

  Diving minion

  Andrei Tupolev designed the Tu-2 front-line bomber in the famous “sharashkas” of the NKVD; it made its first flight in 1941, after the start of the Great Patriotic War. And although outwardly the twin-engine vehicle closely resembled the Pe-2, which was then in service, it surpassed it in power, speed and other parameters. In terms of range, the Pe-2 was almost two times inferior to the “carcass”, and in bomb load - three times.

  The pilots liked the Tupolev aircraft much more than the Pe-2. They noted that the “carcass” is easier to pilot and can return to base if one of the engines fails. Thanks to powerful defensive weapons, good armor protection and reliable construction, the crews felt more confident. And although the German Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulfs opened a real hunt for the Tu-2, the bombers often flew without fighter cover, remaining difficult prey for the enemy.

  Due to wartime difficulties, the vehicle began to be delivered en masse to the troops only from the beginning of 1944; it was produced until 1952 and after the war almost completely replaced the decommissioned Pe-2s. Tupolevs took part in the Battle of Kursk, bombed Koenigsberg and Berlin, were transferred to the Far East and were used in the war with the Japanese, and were exported to China and Europe. Interestingly, the Chinese Air Force operated this aircraft until the early 1980s.

  In total, about three thousand bombers were manufactured. The extremely successful piston engine survived until the appearance of the first generation of its jet descendants, which replaced it. According to experts, unique flight characteristics, ease of production and high combat survivability allow us to consider the Tu-2 the best front-line bomber of the Second World War. For the development of this aircraft, Andrei Tupolev was awarded the rank of Major General of the Aviation Engineering Service.

  First long-range jet

  The Tu-16 bomber replaced the piston Tu-4, “copied” from American “superfortresses,” and ushered in the era of long-range combat turbojet vehicles in the USSR. The Air Force began receiving aircraft in 1954. The Tu-16 turned out to be so successful that it determined the appearance of new Tupolev Design Bureau vehicles for at least a couple of decades.

  The vehicle used many design solutions that were revolutionary at that time: the bomb bay was placed at the center of mass, two pressurized cabins with ejection seats were provided for the crew, powerful defensive small arms and cannon weapons were installed, and an original chassis with two four-wheeled swivel bogies was installed. Thanks to this scheme, the aircraft could land not only on concrete, but also on dirt and snow airfields.

  Over the course of ten years, three factories built more than 1,500 vehicles in the versions of a bomber, missile carrier, torpedo bomber, reconnaissance aircraft, and electronic countermeasures aircraft. In total, more than 50 modifications were created. Born at the dawn of the USSR nuclear program, the Tu-16 became the main “tester” of the latest weapons. It was from this aircraft that the first Soviet thermonuclear bomb RDS-37D was dropped in 1955.

  The legendary “carcass” was supplied not only to the Soviet Air Force and Navy, but also abroad, including Indonesia, Iraq and Egypt. The bomber is a “veteran” of a number of armed conflicts around the world. The Tu-16 could be seen in the sky during the Six-Day War between Egypt and Israel in 1967, the Arab-Israeli War of 1973, and the Iran-Iraq War. In Afghanistan, the “those sixteenth” dropped super-powerful nine-ton bombs to destroy the fortified caves of the Mujahideen. Their monstrous explosions demolished rocks and caused avalanches that buried the Mujahideen alive.

  Bear power

  The legendary “strategist” Tu-95 (according to NATO codification “Bear”) was created in the first half of the 1950s and, until the advent of the first intercontinental ballistic missiles, together with Myasishchev aircraft, remained the main deterrent in the nuclear confrontation with the United States.

  On the basis of the “ninety-five”, many vehicles for various purposes were built. These are bombers, missile carriers, reconnaissance and target aircraft for the Navy, and strategic reconnaissance aircraft. The Tu-142 anti-submarine defense aircraft, created in the late 60s, is still in service with the Navy.

  It is interesting that it was on the basis of this “submarine hunter” that the strategic carrier of long-range cruise missiles Tu-95MS was developed, which today, together with the Tu-160, constitutes an aviation outpost of Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces. During the operation in Syria, the “bears” attacked militant positions with the latest X-101 strategic missiles. In total, until the 1990s, Soviet industry built about 400 aircraft of the Tu-95 and Tu-142 types.

  The Tu-95MS is considered one of the fastest turboprop aircraft in the world and outperforms the Tu-160 in terms of stealth: the exhaust of the Bear's engines, unlike jet streams, is poorly visible from spy satellites.

  Racing with sound

  By the end of the 1950s, the well-deserved Tu-16 was replaced in its post by the supersonic bomber Tu-22, which by the very fact of its appearance “broke” the templates of the world aircraft industry. Almost everything about it was unusual - the location of the engines, the highly swept wing, the “compressed” layout of systems and equipment.

  It took a long and difficult time to bring the plane to perfection, but it was thanks to it that the pilots of Long-Range Aviation and the USSR Navy got the opportunity to fly one and a half times faster than the speed of sound. Over the years of mass production, 300 aircraft were sent to air bases in the variants of a bomber, missile carrier, reconnaissance bomber, electronic warfare aircraft and training aircraft.

  The Tu-22 was modernized many times, “taught” how to refuel in flight, equipped with powerful and reliable engines, and avionics were constantly improved. These bombers served in the Libyan and Iraqi air forces, participated in conflicts and proved to be reliable and unpretentious fighters. The aircraft was used in Afghanistan together with the previous generation Tu-16 bombers and its “replacement” Tu-22M.

  Carrier Killer

  Developed in the late 1960s, the long-range missile carrier-bomber Tu-22M (according to NATO codification "Backfire") inherited from its predecessor Tu-22 the numbers in the name and... almost nothing else. After five years of modifications, the aircraft in the Tu-22M2 version was adopted by the Air Force, and five years later, Soviet military airfields began to receive modernized Tu-22MZ.

  The supersonic multi-mode strike complex has absorbed all the scientific and technical achievements in aircraft construction and was the first of its brothers to learn to “tuck in its wings.” Variable sweep and powerful, economical bypass engines gave the missile carrier fantastic capabilities, making it a threat to naval groups of a potential enemy.

  The vehicle, at maximum load, carries 24 tons of ammunition, accelerates to 2,300 km/h and can operate at a distance of thousands of kilometers from the airfield. These aircraft are armed with Kh-22M guided supersonic missiles of various modifications, capable of hitting sea and ground targets at ranges of up to 480 kilometers.

  Tu-160 (according to NATO codification: Blackjack) - Russian, formerly Soviet, supersonic strategic missile-carrying bomber with variable wing sweep. Developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 1980s, in service since 1987. The Russian Air Force currently has 16 Tu-160 aircraft.

  It is the largest supersonic aircraft and aircraft with variable wing geometry in the history of military aviation, the most powerful and heaviest combat aircraft in the world, and has the largest maximum takeoff weight and combat load among bombers. Among pilots he received the nickname “White Swan”.

  Story

  
  Choice of concept

  In the 1960s, the Soviet Union took the lead in the development of strategic missile weapons, while at the same time the United States relied on strategic aviation. The policy pursued by N. S. Khrushchev led to the fact that by the early 1970s the USSR had a powerful nuclear missile deterrent system, but strategic aviation had at its disposal only subsonic bombers Tu-95 and M-4, which were no longer capable of overcoming anti-aircraft defenses. defense (air defense) of NATO countries.
  It is believed that the impetus for the development of the new Soviet bomber was the US decision to develop, within the framework of the AMSA (Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft) project, the latest strategic bomber - the future B-1. In 1967, the USSR Council of Ministers decided to begin work on a new multi-mode strategic intercontinental aircraft.
  The following basic requirements were presented to the future aircraft:

• flight range at a speed of 3200-3500 km/h at an altitude of 18,000 meters - within 11-13 thousand km;
• flight range in subsonic mode at altitude and near the ground - 16-18 and 11-13 thousand kilometers, respectively;
• the aircraft had to approach the target at subsonic cruising speed, and overcome enemy air defenses at supersonic speed
• high-altitude flight or at cruising speed near the ground;
• the total mass of the combat load is up to 45 tons.

  Projects

  The Sukhoi Design Bureau and the Myasishchev Design Bureau began work on the new bomber. Due to the heavy workload, the Tupolev Design Bureau was not involved.
  By the beginning of the 70s, both design bureaus had prepared their projects - a four-engine aircraft with variable sweep wings. At the same time, despite some similarities, they used different schemes.
  The Sukhoi Design Bureau worked on the T-4MS (“product 200”) project, which maintained a certain continuity with the previous development - the T-4 (“product 100”). Many layout options were worked out, but in the end the designers settled on an integrated circuit of the “flying wing” type with rotating consoles of a relatively small area.
  Myasishchev Design Bureau also, after conducting numerous studies, came up with a variant with variable wing sweep. The M-18 project used a traditional aerodynamic design. The M-20 project, built using a canard aerodynamic design, was also being worked on.
  After the Air Force presented new tactical and technical requirements for a promising multi-mode strategic aircraft in 1969, the Tupolev Design Bureau also began development. Here there was a wealth of experience in solving the problems of supersonic flight, gained in the process of developing and manufacturing the world's first supersonic passenger aircraft Tu-144, including experience in designing structures with a long service life in supersonic flight conditions, developing thermal protection for the airframe, etc.
  The Tupolev team initially rejected the option with variable sweep, since the weight of the wing rotation mechanisms completely eliminated all the advantages of such a design, and took the civilian supersonic aircraft Tu-144 as a basis.
  In 1972, after considering three projects (“product 200” by the Sukhoi Design Bureau, M-18 by the Myasishchev Design Bureau and “product 70” by the Tupolev Design Bureau), the design of the Sukhoi Design Bureau was recognized as the best, but since it was busy developing the Su-27, all materials for further It was decided to transfer the work to the Tupolev Design Bureau.
  But the OKB rejected the proposed documentation and again took up the design of the aircraft, this time in the version with a variable sweep wing; layout options with a fixed wing were no longer considered.

  Testing and production

  The first flight of the prototype (under the designation “70-01”) took place on December 18, 1981 at the Ramenskoye airfield. The flight was carried out by a crew led by test pilot Boris Veremey. The second copy of the aircraft (product "70-02") was used for static tests and did not fly. Later, a second flying aircraft under the designation “70-03” joined the tests. Aircraft "70-01", "70-02" and "70-03" were produced at MMZ "Experience".
  In 1984, the Tu-160 was put into serial production at the Kazan Aviation Plant. The first production vehicle (No. 1-01) took off on October 10, 1984, the second production vehicle (No. 1-02) on March 16, 1985, the third (No. 2-01) on December 25, 1985, the fourth (No. 2-02) ) - August 15, 1986.

  In January 1992, Boris Yeltsin decided to possibly suspend the ongoing serial production of the Tu-160 if the United States stopped serial production of the B-2 aircraft. By this time, 35 aircraft had been produced. By 1994, KAPO transferred six Tu-160 bombers to the Russian Air Force. They were stationed at the Engels airfield in the Saratov region.
  In May 2000, the new Tu-160 (b/n “07” “Alexander Molodchiy”) entered service with the Air Force.
  On April 12, 2006, it was announced that state tests of the modernized NK-32 engines for the Tu-160 had been completed. New engines are distinguished by significantly increased service life and increased reliability.
  On December 28, 2007, the first flight of the new production aircraft Tu-160 was carried out in Kazan.
  On April 22, 2008, Air Force Commander-in-Chief Colonel General Alexander Zelin told reporters that another Tu-160 strategic bomber would enter service with the Russian Air Force in April 2008.

  On April 29, 2008, a ceremony took place in Kazan to transfer the new aircraft into service with the Air Force of the Russian Federation. The new aircraft was named “Vitaly Kopylov” (in honor of the former director of KAPO Vitaly Kopylov) and was included in the 121st Guards Aviation Sevastopol Red Banner Heavy Bomber Regiment, based in Engels. It was planned that in 2008 three combat Tu-160s would be modernized.

  Operation

  The first two Tu-160 aircraft (No. 1-01 and No. 1-02) entered the 184th Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment in Priluki (Ukrainian SSR) in April 1987. At the same time, the aircraft were transferred to the combat unit before the completion of state tests, which was due to the rapid pace of introduction of American B-1 bombers into service.
  By 1991, 19 aircraft arrived in Priluki, of which two squadrons were formed. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, they all remained on the territory of independent Ukraine.
  In 1992, Russia unilaterally stopped flights of its strategic aviation to remote regions.
  In 1998, Ukraine began to destroy its strategic bombers using funds allocated by the United States under the Nunn-Lugar program.

  In 1999-2000 an agreement was reached under which Ukraine transferred eight Tu-160s and three Tu-95s to Russia in exchange for writing off part of the gas purchase debt. The remaining Tu-160s in Ukraine were destroyed, except for one machine, which was rendered unfit for combat and is located in the Poltava Long-Range Aviation Museum.
  By the beginning of 2001, in accordance with the SALT-2 Treaty, Russia had 15 Tu-160 aircraft in combat service, of which 6 missile carriers were officially armed with strategic cruise missiles.
  In 2002, the Ministry of Defense entered into an agreement with KAPO to modernize all 15 Tu-160 aircraft.
  On September 18, 2003, during a test flight after engine repair, a disaster occurred; the plane with tail number “01” crashed in the Sovetsky district of the Saratov region during landing. The Tu-160 crashed into a deserted place 40 km from the home airfield. There were four crew members on board the vehicle: commander Yuri Deineko, co-pilot Oleg Fedusenko, as well as Grigory Kolchin and Sergei Sukhorukov. They all died.
  On April 22, 2006, the Commander-in-Chief of Long-Range Aviation of the Russian Air Force, Lieutenant General Khvorov, said that during the exercise, a group of modernized Tu-160 aircraft penetrated US airspace and went unnoticed.
  On July 5, 2006, the modernized Tu-160 was adopted by the Russian Air Force, which became the 15th aircraft of this type (w/n “19” “Valentin Bliznyuk”). The Tu-160, which was transferred to combat service, was built in 1986, belonged to the Tupolev Design Bureau and was used for testing.

  As of the beginning of 2007, according to the Memorandum of Understanding, there were 14 Tu-160 strategic bombers in the operational composition of the Nuclear Forces (ASNF) (one bomber was not declared in the START data (b/n “19” “Valentin Bliznyuk”)).
  On August 17, 2007, Russia resumed strategic aviation flights in remote regions on a permanent basis.
  In July 2008, reports appeared about the possible deployment of Il-78 tankers at airfields in Cuba, Venezuela and Algeria, as well as the possible use of airfields as backup for Tu-160 and Tu-95MS.
  On September 10, 2008, two Tu-160 bombers (“Alexander Molodchy” with no. 07 and “Vasily Senko” with no. 11) flew from their home base in Engels to the Libertador airfield in Venezuela, using the Olenegorsk airfield as a jump-off airfield. in the Murmansk region. Part of the way through Russian territory, the missile-carrying bombers were accompanied (for cover purposes) by Su-27 fighters of the St. Petersburg Air Force and Air Defense Association; while flying over the Norwegian Sea, Russian bombers intercepted two F-16 fighters of the Norwegian Air Force, and two F fighters near Iceland -15 US Air Force. The flight from the stopover site in Olenegorsk to Venezuela took 13 hours. There are no nuclear weapons on board the aircraft, but there are training missiles with the help of which combat use is practiced. This is the first time in the history of the Russian Federation that Long-Range Aviation aircraft have used an airfield located on the territory of a foreign state. In Venezuela, the aircraft carried out training flights over neutral waters in the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. On September 18, 2008, at 10:00 Moscow time (UTC+4), both aircraft took off from the Maiquetia airfield in Caracas, and over the Norwegian Sea, for the first time in recent years, made night refueling in the air from an Il-78 tanker. At 01:16 (Moscow time) on September 19, they landed at the base airfield in Engels, setting a record for flight duration on the Tu-160.

  June 10, 2010 - The maximum range flight record was set by two Tu-160 strategic bombers, official representative of the press service and information department of the Russian Ministry of Defense Vladimir Drik told Interfax-AVN on Thursday. The flight duration of the missile carriers exceeded last year's figure by two hours, amounting to 24 hours 24 minutes, while the flight range was 18 thousand kilometers. The maximum volume of fuel during refueling was 50 tons, whereas previously it was 43 tons.

  Modernization plans

  
  According to the commander of Russian long-range aviation, Igor Khvorov, the modernized aircraft will be able, in addition to cruise missiles, to hit targets using aerial bombs, will be able to use communications through space satellites and will have improved targeted fire characteristics.

  Armament

  
  Two intra-fuselage compartments can accommodate up to 40 tons of weapons, including several types of guided missiles, guided and free-fall bombs and other weapons of destruction, both nuclear and conventional.

  Strategic cruise missiles in service with the Tu-160 X-55(12 units on two multi-position revolving launchers) are designed to hit stationary targets with predetermined coordinates, which are entered into the missile’s memory before the bomber takes off. Anti-ship missile variants have a radar homing system.
  To hit targets at shorter ranges, the weapons may include aeroballistic hypersonic missiles X-15(24 units on four launchers).

  The bomb armament of the Tu-160 is considered as a “second-stage” weapon, intended to destroy targets that remained after the first missile strike of the bomber. It is also located in weapons bays and can include adjustable bombs of various types, including one of the most powerful domestic ammunition of this class - bombs of the KAB-1500 series weighing 1500 kg
  The aircraft can also be equipped with free-falling bombs (up to 40,000 kg) of various calibers, including nuclear ones, disposable cluster bombs, sea mines and other weapons.
  In the future, the bomber's armament is planned to be significantly strengthened due to the introduction of high-precision cruise missiles of the new generation X-555 and X-101, which have an increased range and are designed to destroy both strategic and tactical ground and sea targets of almost all classes.

  Modifications

• Tu-160V (Tu-161) - an aircraft project with a power plant running on liquid hydrogen. It also differed from the base model in the dimensions of the fuselage, designed to accommodate tanks with liquid hydrogen.
• Tu-160 NK-74 - with more economical NK-74 engines (increased flight range).
• Tu-160M ​​- carrier of hypersonic cruise missiles X-90, extended version. The missile range is up to 3000 km, 2 nuclear warheads, with a distance between targets of 100 km. Work on the rocket was suspended in 1992 and resumed in the early 2000s. The first test of the Tu-160M ​​and X-90 complex was carried out in February 2004; adoption was planned for 2010.
• Tu-160P is a project of a heavy escort fighter armed with long- and medium-range air-to-air missiles.
• The Tu-160PP, an electronic warfare aircraft, has been brought to the stage of manufacturing a full-scale mock-up, and the composition of the equipment has been completely determined.
• Tu-160K is a preliminary design of the Krechet combat aircraft and missile system. Development began in 1983, Yuzhnoye SDO released it in December 1984. It was planned to deploy 2 two-stage ballistic missiles (1st stage - solid fuel, 2nd - liquid), weighing 24.4 tons, on a carrier aircraft. The total range of the complex was assumed to be more than 10,000 km. Warhead: 6 MIRV IN or monoblock warhead with a set of means to overcome missile defense. KVO - 600 m. Development was stopped in the mid-80s.
• Tu-160SK is a carrier aircraft of the aerospace liquid three-stage Burlak system weighing 20 tons. It was assumed that the mass of the payload launched into orbit could reach from 600 to 1100 kg, and the cost of delivery would be 2-2.5 times lower than that of ground-launched rockets of similar payload capacity. The rocket launch was to be carried out at altitudes from 9 to 14 km at a carrier flight speed of 850-1600 km/h. In terms of its characteristics, the Burlak complex was supposed to surpass the American subsonic launch complex, created on the basis of the Boeing B-52 carrier aircraft and the Pegasus launch vehicle. The main purpose is to replenish the constellation of satellites in conditions of mass destruction of cosmodromes. Development of the complex began in 1991, commissioning was planned in 1998-2000. The complex was to include a command and measurement station based on the Il-76SK and a ground support complex. The flight range of the carrier aircraft to the ILV launch zone is 5000 km. On January 19, 2000, in Samara, the State Research and Production Space Center "TsSKB-Progress" and the Aerospace Corporation "Air Launch" signed a cooperation agreement on the creation of an aviation and space missile complex (ARKKN) "Air Launch".

  Performance characteristics

  
  Specifications
• Crew: 4 people
• Length: 54.1 m
• Wingspan: 55.7/50.7/35.6 m
• Height: 13.1 m
• Wing area: 232 m²
• Empty weight: 110000 kg
• Normal take-off weight: 267600 kg
• Maximum take-off weight: 275000 kg
• Engines: 4 × NK-32 turbofan engines

  Flight characteristics

• Maximum speed at altitude: 2230 km/h
• Cruising speed: 917 km/h (0.77 M)
• Maximum range without refueling: 13950 km
• Practical range without refueling: 12300 km
• Combat radius: 6000 km
• Flight duration: 25 hours
• Service ceiling: 15000 m
• Climbing rate: 4400 m/min
• Take-off/run length: 900-2000 m

  Current situation

  
  The Russian Air Force currently has 16 Tu-160 aircraft.
  In February 2004, it was reported that it was planned to build three new aircraft, the aircraft were on the plant's stocks, and delivery dates to the Air Force had not been determined.