The Tu-22M bomber (Russian: Ту-22М, English: Tu-22M, NATO code name: Backfire, also known as: Tu-26), is a Soviet supersonic long-range strategic bomber.
The Tu-22M bomber is a twin-engine variable swept-wing layout, nominally a modified version of the Tu-22, but is actually a newly designed supersonic strategic bomber. The aircraft can carry out both strategic nuclear bombing and tactical bombing, especially carrying high-powered anti-ship missiles, long-distance rapid attacks, attacking aircraft carrier formations, and deploying in any place, which is a huge deterrent to strategic space.
The Tu-22M bomber was developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau of the USSR (Туполева/Tupolev, now the Russian United Aviation Manufacturing Group), first flew in 1972, produced about 500 between 1969 and 1993, after the collapse of the Soviet Union due to its complex maintenance and Russian economic difficulties, it was discontinued in 1993, and about 114 are still in service in Russia.
History
Development background
As the first supersonic bomber of the Soviet Union, the performance and range of the Soviet Tu-22 bomber were not very satisfactory, and after the aircraft was filled with fuel and missiles, it was impossible to carry out supersonic flight at all, and even if it reached Mach 1.5 when it reached the vicinity of the target, it could not effectively evade the interception of NATO fighters and anti-aircraft missiles at that time. Therefore, the Soviet army was not satisfied with this bomber, only a small amount of equipment, and instructed the design bureaus to develop the next generation of supersonic bombers to replace the Tu-16 and Tu-22.
Construction history
Tu-22 bomber
In 1965, the Soviet Union announced that the requirements for the new design were a range of at least 5,000 kilometers, a high-altitude speed of at least Mach 2, a low-altitude penetration rate of at least Mach 1, a bomb load of 20 tons, and the ability to operate at a newly prepared front-line airfield. As Sukhoi's T-4 bomber continued to rise in design, especially manufacturing costs, exposing the risk of the entire project, Tupolev's proposal at this time to use the existing Kh-22 anti-ship missile and K-22 combat system to reduce costs, which made Tupolev's design more supportive.
In November 1967, the T-4 program was officially terminated and replaced by the tupolev design bureau. [1] The Tu-22M project had new design elements that differed from the Tu-22 and faced demanding design requirements, and the design work plan was divided into three phases. In the first phase, the Tu-22M will be fitted with NK-144-22 engines and carry avionics equipment that is almost identical to the Tu-22K. The second phase introduces the NK-22 afterburner turbofan engine (an improved version of the NK-144 with a thrust of 215.7 kN when fully open), a new navigation kit for automatic flight control systems (AFCS), and a new weapon. In the third stage, the performance of the aircraft continued to improve gradually, and finally met the requirements of the Soviet Air Force. The Tu-22M, like its predecessors, is planned to be manufactured at plant No. 22 in Kazan, with initial preparations for small-scale production. After that, as the unavoidable difficulties in the early stage are overcome one by one, and gradually reach the specified performance indicators, the output will increase accordingly.
In July 1970, the West discovered a prototype of the Tu-22M near the Tupolev plant in the Kazan region, and the first began test flights in 1970, followed by the manufacture of 9-12 pre-production models.
Between 1971 and 1972, nine tu-22M1s were produced, which the Soviets claimed were intended for use by the Naval Air Force, known to NATO as the Backfire A bomber.
In 1972, the first version to enter mass production was the Tu-22M2.
Beginning in 1973, the Tu-22M0 was used in flight tests, system tests, static tests and as a weapon platform for evaluation, and the production version was delivered to the troops in 1974.
By the beginning of 1975, the Soviet long-range aviation had formed two Tu-22M squadrons, the Soviet long-range aviation had about 200 Tu-22M, and the naval aviation had more than 160 in service. The later Tu-22M3 was test flown in 1976 and commissioned in 1983. [4]
Service history
Figure-22M3
Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Soviet Air Force and Naval Aviation had a total of 510 Tu-22 and Tu-22M series aircraft. The Air Force has 311 Tu-22 and Tu-22M series aircraft, specifically distributed in Russia, including the 43rd Center of the 43rd Center of the Strategic Air Force 37th Army long-range combat use and flight personnel training, 52nd Regiment of the Guards Heavy Bombing Aviation Corps, Sekovka, Smolensk Oblast, 18 Tu-22M3s; the 19 Tu-22M3s of the 326th Division of the Strategic Air Force Heavy Bombing Aviation Corps 326th Division Heavy Bombing Aviation Regiment Soltez, 19 Tu-22M3 31st Division of heavy bombing aviation of the 30th Army of the Strategic Air Force, High Command: Belaya, 40 Tu-22M2s.
In the case of the other Republics, the 46th Army of the Strategic Air Force of the High Command in Ukraine had 2 regiments of Tu-22M2/3 (36 in total, Poltava and Stry) and 2 regiments of Tu-22K and Tu-22R (48 in total, Ozerney and Nezhin), a total of 36 Tu-22M2/3 and 48 Tu-22K and Tu-22R belonging to Ukraine. The 46th Army of the Strategic Air Force of the High Command had 5 regiments in Belarus, 2 regiments equipped with Tu-22M3 (37 in total, Bobruisk and Orsha), 2 regiments equipped with Tu-22K (66 in total, Machulich and Paranovizi), and 1 regiment equipped with Tu-22R (29, Jabrovka). According to the Russian-Belarusian intergovernmental agreement, all these aircraft returned to Russia. The 132nd Heavy Bombing Aviation Regiment (18 Tu-22M3 and 18 Tu-16Ks), the only one in Estonia equipped with Tu-22M3 and Tu-16, was also transferred from Tartu to Russia. By January 2006, with the exception of 3 Tu-22M3s of the Ukrainian Tu-22M3, which had been preserved for museum display, the remaining 17 Tu-22M2 and 16 Tu-22M3 bombers had all been dismantled, and all Tu-22 series aircraft had been retired from service and demolished.
Upgrade in figure-22M3
In 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia had 162 Tu-22M3s, of which 41 were in service, mainly deployed in the southern border of Russia near Central Asia and the Black Sea, carrying out patrol tasks, and the rest were in a state of sequestration. In 2006, the Indian government procured three Tu-22M3 bombers.
In February 2012, Russia signed an agreement to modernize 30 of the Tu-22M3s to the level of the Tu-22M3 by 2020. After the upgrade, the Tu-22M series bombers will not only be better able to perform daily patrol tasks, but may also be given a new combat mission, and their position in the strategic aviation of the Russian Air Force will be consolidated.
In August 2016, There were 114 Russian Tu-22M in service, of which 98 Tu-22M3s. The Russian long-range aviation unit equipped with the Tu-22M series is: Konoe 6950 Aviation Base, located in Engels, Sasaratov Oblast. Konoe 6950 Air Base Aviation Cluster 6951 (located in Shaykovka, Kirov District, Kaluga), equipped with 48 Tu-22M3 bombers. The Konoe 6950 Air Base Aviation Cluster 7051 (located in North Morsk, Murmansk Oblast), equipped with 4 Tu-22MR reconnaissance aircraft and 20 Tu-22M3 bombers. Konoe 6952 Aviation Base, located in Ukrainian card, Shereshevo District, Amur Oblast. The 6953rd Aviation Cluster of the Guards 6952nd Air Base, located in Sliedene (Belaya), Ussorski District, Irkutsk Oblast, is equipped with 30 Tu-22M3 bombers and 2 Tu-22MR reconnaissance aircraft.
Technical features
Pneumatic structure
Figure-22M1/2/3 type comparison
The tu-22M bomber's design efforts included many "firsts", especially the variable swept wing. The whole design idea revolves around this wing step by step into reality. The Design Bureau carefully determined the position of the wing hinge, as well as the fixed wing sleeve, and the relative area of the movable outer wing, in order to ensure that the offset of the aerodynamic pressure center does not exceed 2% of the average aerodynamic string when the wing is reset, and the pilot can select 4 wing swept angles according to various flight modes. 20° swept angle for take-off and landing, 30° for climb start and long subsonic cruises, 50° for low-altitude transsonic flight to break through air defense lines, and 60° for supersonic cruising. The outer wings are actuated by two hydraulic motors that drive the screw jack. In addition, for added safety, the wings can be powered by a separate hydraulic system. The tu-22M's two engines are uniquely laid out, above the flat tail and flanked by the base of the vertical tail. Of course, this layout makes it quite difficult to maintain the engine. Thus the M-type redesigned most of the fuselage, in this sense, the Tu-22M is actually a completely new model, and for this reason, the Western countries once called it the Tu-26, and the Soviet military classified them into the Tu-22 family only because of "blood" and to evade the restrictions of the disarmament treaty.
Tu-22M is an all-metal semi-hard shell aircraft, of which the front of the No. 1 module, The No. 2 module, the fuselage middle adjacent and the tail are the bearing surface structure, the force part of the whole aircraft No. 1 is the part before box 13, including the cockpit and the upper part of the radar cabin aircraft abandonment root for the air refueling related structure and loading, and the lower half is the radar antenna shield. The cockpit is supercharged and has 4 seats, with the pilot and co-pilot in front of them, and the weapons operator and navigator in the left and right positions at the rear of the cockpit. The driver enters and exits by flipping the canopy upwards from both sides, and the canopy above each pilot's head can be moved. The front windshield is made of three layers of tightly bonded special glass and has an electric de-icing device. Module 2 runs from box 13 to box 33, including the interior fuel tanks of no. 1 and 2 starting from the front wheel and the avionics cabin. The front and rear electronics compartments of this type have a hatch cover in the belly position of the aircraft, which is convenient for the daily maintenance of the aircraft by the ground crew. Between boxes 14 and 16 there is a LAS-SM inflatable rubber raft with an automatic inflatable compartment. It can be quickly inflated and opened in the cabin or outside the cabin when the aircraft is forced to land on the water. The central section of the fuselage is between box 33 and box 60, including the large wing box occupying the position between box 33 and 44 and its lower internal fuel tank No. 5, as well as the bomb bay extending from box 44 to box 60. The bomb hatch is a unique three-stage hatch, the first of which is concave and conical to accommodate the pointed warhead of the external missile. It also includes two sub-tanks of tanks A and B of tank 5, of which part A is above the bomb bay and part B is in the position of box 57 to box 60 under the right engine intake. The tail section runs from the rear central fuselage to the tail (box 60 to box 82) and consists of an auxiliary powertrain unit (APU) in the middle of two horizontal tails, an engine, the main part of tank 5, tanks 6, 7, and 8, and a vertical tail and a flat tail. There is a PT-12024-69 type deceleration parachute cabin at the base of the vertical tail, which contains two landing parachutes to shorten the landing and running distance of the aircraft, and is controlled by electricity to retract, with a single-slit flap at the trailing edge. The wing is a variable swept wing, and the mover part is set with T20', 30', 50', 60' (65') of the Fig.-22M3) 4 swept angles, and the aircraft cry section has an arch of 4 degrees. Its large wing box consists of the front and rear beams and common ribs of the middle, and the outermost side is the shaft ear joint, which is connected to the variable double root hinge. This wing box is the focus of the variable swept structure, and it is also one of the main contributors to the air weight of the whole aircraft (the variable swept wing aircraft is much heavier than the aircraft of the same size, which is why, so how to reduce the weight of the wing box is also a headache for designers, with the pneumatic layout of the excellent three generations of fixed wing aircraft out of the brick, this problem is finally solved). There is a BD-45K missile pylon under each wing sleeve. The movable wing is driven by the MVD-25D25 electric drive, with full-scale leading edge slats at the leading edge and smaller ailerons at the trailing edge.
dynamical system
The Tu-22M is powered by two NK-22 (the Tu-22M3 is the NK-321, which is rumored to save 50% more fuel than the NK-22) twin-rotor afterburner turbofan engines. Development of the engine is estimated to have begun in the early 1960s, with five pre-production models completing 1500 hours of bench testing by October 1965, and the first test flight on the Tu-144 prototype on December 31, 1968, and subsequent improvements to the Tu-22M. In fact, the engine was developed on the basis of the HK-8 non-force turbofan engine, but equipped with an afterburner combustion chamber. The afterburner is only opened during take-off, transonic and supersonic cruises, and the afterburner ratio is 1.35, while the Oribus 593 turbojet engine (used on the British Vulcan strategic bomber) can only be turned on instantaneously, and the afterburner ratio is only 1.09. Only a portion of the afterburner is used during normal take-off, and full afterburner is used only when one engine fails. So, it's a safety measure. The Design Bureau also developed a new engine based on it, which increased the economy by 50%.
Weapon systems
Figure-22M mounted with a close-up of a normal bomb
The Tu-22M3 bomber has a maximum armament of 24 tons, three Kh-22 air-to-ground missiles under the wings and belly, a rotating launcher in the fuselage weapons compartment, six RKV-500B (AS-16) short-range attack missiles, and various types of precision-guided bombs, such as 69 FAB-250 bombs or 8 FAB-1500 bombs. In addition, there is a GSh-23L type 23 mm tail remote control cannon. The Russian bomber supporting weapons are very diverse, Kh-55 cruise missile is the 1980s designed Tu-160 and Tu-95MC bomber standard weapons, which is equipped with a nuclear warhead, the range of up to 2500 kilometers, the probability of circular error is less than 20 meters, can destroy the target with a high level of protection. The Kh-65 is a conventional derivative of the Kh-55 missile, which is equipped with a 400 kg high-explosive warhead, which is mainly used for combat tasks other than nuclear strikes. The more advanced Kh-101 missiles are also equipped with conventional warheads, also known as "high-precision missiles" due to their circular error probability of only 10 meters. In the 1960s, the Soviet Union developed the Kh-22 missile as a long-range anti-ship weapon for the Tu-22M3 bomber.
The typical way for the Tu-22M to hang bombs is to carry one to three Kh-22 "Storms" on the BD-45F pylons under the wings and the BD-45K pylons below the belly of the aircraft. It can also carry free-fall bombs for routine bombing or carry mines to rapidly mine a certain area of water in the air. Its total bomb load is up to 24 tons, and the free-fall bombs that can be carried are 100 kg, 250 kg, 500 kg, 1500 kg and 3000 kg. At this time, the BD6-105A, KD3-22RD, KD3-22M and KD4-105D in-flight bomb bay folding pylons were used, and the MBD3-UG composite pylons could also be used to carry bombs at the lower wing hanging point and the belly midline hanging point. Typical bombs are carried with 69 FAB-100s or 69 FAB-250s or 42 FAB-500s or 8 FAB-1500s or two FAB-3000s or 24 FAB-500s plus 8 FAB-1500s or 24 FAB-500s and then a Kh-22 hanging from the midline of the belly. Behind the tail root there is also a UKU-GA-502 self-defense turret with a GSh-23 twin-mounted machine gun with a reserve of 600 rounds and a rate of fire of 2600 rounds per minute.
Avionics systems
The Tu-22M3 bomber has long-range detection radar, bombing navigation radar, Doppler navigation and calculation system with land and sea down-vision capabilities, and is also equipped with electronic countermeasure equipment such as the SRZO-2 Friend or Foe Identifier, Siren 3 Omnidirectional Alert Radar, etc.
Performance data
Dimensions: Member: 4 Full length: 42.46m Wingspan: Full unfolding: 34.28m Full retracted: 23.3m Full height: 11.05m Wing area: 175.80 m² (65 degrees swept angle) Empty weight: 54000 kg Weight load: Maximum takeoff weight: 126 398kg Maximum oil load: 53560kg (internal) Maximum external weapon load: 24000kg Powerplant: 2 Sets of Russian two HK-22 Turbofan engine airborne equipment: Radar: Long-range detection radar navigation equipment with land and sea down-vision capabilities: Bombing navigation radar, Doppler navigation and calculation system electronic countermeasure equipment: SRZO-2 friend or foe identifier, "siren" 3 omnidirectional warning radar weapon equipment: 2 magazines with rotating pylons, 4 external hanging weapons include: Aircraft guns: 1 double-barreled 23mm aerial guns AS-4 air-to-ground missiles AS-6 air-to-ground missiles Various types of Russian active freefall bombs
Derivative models
Figure-22M0
Close-up of the Tu-22M tail cannon
The first prototype of the Tu-22M was built in June 1969, and in order to make the cover story of the "Tu-22 Upgrade" more realistic, the model was originally called the "Tu-22KM". But in fact, the model should be Tu-22M0, or "Product 45-00". Therefore, it is also called "zero" by insiders. On 30 August, the Tu-22M0 prototype 1 flew for the first time, piloted by V.P. Borisov, test pilot of the Tupolev Design Bureau. In total, the Design Bureau built nine prototypes and another static test aircraft. Between September 1969 and 1970, these aircraft were factory tested, with six individually used as test aircraft for performance and handling tests, and the rest for engine, carrier systems, and weapons testing, including bomb dropping and missile launches.
In February 1973, two prototypes were transferred to the Air Force's 42nd Combat Training Center for pilots to test fly to provide experience and to develop a training syllabus. The early Tu-22M0 lacked self-defense firepower. A large electronic jamming device was installed in the rear compartment reserved for the cannon. However, the experience of the Vietnam War shows that large, unarmed bombers still cannot guarantee themselves from fighter attacks by electronic jamming alone. Therefore, the tail of the Tu-22M that was later manufactured was equipped with a UKU-GA-502 self-defense turret with a twin GSh-23 gun inside. Test flight data show that the model has a combat radius of 4140 kilometers (2572 miles) when cruising at high altitude subsonic speeds. The take-off and running distance is 2600 meters. Another problem found in the test flight was the lack of structural strength of its wings. Therefore, during the test flight, its maximum takeoff weight was set at 95 tons, and according to the design, the maximum takeoff weight of this model could reach 121 tons. The Tu-22M0 is actually still a test aircraft, mainly used for flight testing, in order to provide modifications to the official production model of the army that was later installed.
Figure-22M1
The Tu-22M1 was a pre-production version that made its maiden flight on 28 July 1971, but the main difference from the Tu-22M0 was that the M1 was fitted with reinforced wings with a larger wingspan and a new NK-22 afterburner turbofan engine. Tests have shown that the Tu-22M0's back auxiliary air intake is less efficient, so on the Tu-22M1, this air inlet is replaced by a side air intake. There are 3 rows of side air intakes on each side of the fuselage, and the spring-loaded air intake valves open automatically when the speed is low. Other more conspicuous external features are the larger angled air intakes and the smaller main landing gear fairing.
The avionics system of the Tu-22M1 has also been upgraded, replacing the original automatic flight system with the ABSu-145 automatic flight control system. An external mounting point is added under each side of the fixed dish sleeve, and the BD-45K type pylon is used to test the mounting of the Kh-22 air-to-surface missile. If you do not have missiles, you can carry up to 12 tons of free-fall bombs. In total, only 10 Tu-22M1s were produced, four of which were used to test flight performance, engines, electronic jamming equipment, armament systems, and avionics system compatibility. One is for structural testing and the other five for fuselage static testing. The M1 has a maximum combat radius of 5,000 km and a combat radius of 1,560 km when flying at Mach 1.25. The maximum level flight speed is 1660 km / h, and the take-off and running distance is 2300 meters. After strengthening the flight structure, the maximum take-off weight of the model still failed to reach the predetermined 120 tons, and could only take off at a weight of 110 tons. A small number of Tu-22M1s were supplied to naval aviation in 1975 for testing. Starting with the M1, the Tu-22M really had combat capabilities.
Figure-22M2
F-14 intercept tu-22M2
It first flew on May 7, 1973, and was the first practical model to be mass-equipped with air force long-range aviation and naval aviation. Unlike the previous two, this type was capable of carrying three Kh-22 missiles (two underneath and one in the midline of the belly) to attack targets. If there is no missile, conventional free-fall bombs can be carried on crying compound pylons and in the belly magazine. The avionics system has also been greatly upgraded, equipped with newly developed terrain-matching radars and navigation computers. This type is equipped with all the equipment planned in the original design and has full combat capability. The underwing landing gear fairing is smaller than the M1 type and no longer extends beyond the trailing edge, and the main landing gear is retracted inward, which greatly expands the volume of the fuel tank in the aircraft and extends the endurance of the aircraft. The fuselage capacity has also been modified, the exhibition has been increased, and the aerial oil receiving equipment has also been added, and the performance has been greatly improved compared with the M1 type. The Tu-22M2 entered service with the Air Force's long-range aviation and naval aviation in 1976, and NATO nicknamed it "Backfire B." The Tu-22M2 has a maximum speed of 1,800 km/h and a maximum combat radius of 5,000 km. The wings and horizontal tails of the late-production Tu-22M2 had some changes, and the transitions became more sleek and improved flight stability. All of the early versions have always been in the original design and have not been altered. Figure-22M is factory numbered with 7 digits. The first two digits indicate the date of manufacture, where the first number represents the quarter of the Russian old calendar, the second number represents the year of production, the next two digits are the production batch, the fifth number does not have a logical explanation, the sixth number represents the first few racks of the batch, and the last assembly line number. For example, the Figure-22M3 "Red 60" (e/n3 791834) indicates that the type was manufactured in the third quarter of 1987 (April-June of that year in the Gregorian calendar) as the third of the 91st batch, assembled by line 4.
Tu-22M3 mounted with KSR-5 supersonic anti-ship missiles
It first flew on June 20, 1977, and the results obtained from the test flight of the Tu-22M1 were largely applied to the aircraft. The newly designed nose and radomes feature a maximum swept angle of up to 65° for the movable wing section, and the shape of the intake tract is different from the previous model, with a wedge-shaped intake tract similar to that of the MiG-25. The new avionics system has given the pilot cockpit a new look, changing the style of the previous Soviet aircraft cockpit with dashboards and mechanical instruments, and the degree of automation has been greatly improved. The powertrain uses the new NK-25 engine, which is more powerful and has less fuel consumption. The aircraft became the core of the ground strike forces of the Soviet long-range aviation and naval aviation at that time. The aircraft began small-scale production in the same year as the test flight, and NATO nicknamed it "Backfire C". Since the Tu-22M2 bomber continued to be produced until 1984, the peculiar scene of the simultaneous production of the two tu-22M models could be seen in the aircraft production workshop. In fact, from another point of view, this also reflects the backwardness of the Soviet Union's industrial production management capacity.
Routine training of the Tu-22M3 aircraft
The early Tu-22M3 was equipped with an aerial refueling probe as the previous model. However, with the signing of the U.S.-Soviet arms limitation agreement, the Soviets dismantled their aerial refueling probes and replaced them with a smooth fairing, and later production models also cancelled the aerial refueling probes to ensure that they had no intercontinental attack capabilities (to put it bluntly, it was impossible to threaten the Us mainland, and as for the lives of the European brothers, it was a relatively secondary matter). However, the internal structure of the aircraft has not changed, and the structure and equipment of the later production-type place have not changed, and once the situation changes, the Soviet ground staff can restore their aerial refueling capabilities in a very short time. The late-production version of this type can carry six Kh-15 "stall pole" air-to-surface cruise missiles on the internal rotating launcher. The pylon under the intake tract was also improved to mount the new K-16 Kingfish air-to-surface missile.
Service dynamics
The "backfire" bombers of the War in Afghanistan are ready to carry out their missions
In 1984, Soviet Tu-16 bombers from an aviation group of the 132nd Heavy Bombing Aviation Regiment, the 200th Regiment of the Guards Heavy Bombing Aviation, and six Tu-22M2 bombers from the 1225th Regiment of the Guards Heavy Bombing Aviation came to Afghanistan.
In March 1985, the Novorossiysk simulated U.S. aircraft carriers launched an attack on the Soviet Union, while the Soviet Pacific Fleet sent a Tu-95 to guide 20 Tu-22M2 bombers to launch a simulated missile attack, and the results of the exercise showed that the Tu-22M2 could effectively strike the U.S. aircraft carrier battle group at that time using supersonic anti-ship missiles. Because the waters of the exercise were located 1,000 kilometers east of Japan, it caused great shock to the United States and Japan.
Toward the end of the Cold War, the F-16 was intercepting Soviet "backfire" bombers
In 1987-1988, the Soviet Union used the Tu-22M3 to bomb permanent Afghan guerrilla fortifications, bases and force assembly points. The 402nd Heavy Bombing Aviation Regiment fought from May 1988 to February 1989, with 537 Sorties of Tu-22M3 bombers. The 185th Regiment of the Guards Heavy Bombing Aviation sent 18 Tu-22M3 bombers into the war from 31 October to December 1988. The 840th Heavy Bombing Aviation Regiment, part of the 326th Heavy Bombing Aviation Division, fought in the war from December 1988 to February 1989, armed with Tu-22M3 bombers in 71 sorties and dropping 122 FAB-3000 bombs.
In October 1988, four Tu-22PDs of the 341st Regiment of the Soviet Heavy Bombing Aviation Were sent to Turkmenistan to provide electronic warfare support for Tu-22M3 bombers on bombing missions on the Pakistani border, protecting them from Pakistani F-16 fighter jets and ground-based anti-aircraft missiles.
Flight training in the Tu-22M3
In the first Chechen conflict from 29 November 1994 to 14 August 1996, the long-range aviation dispatched 14 Tu-22M3 bombers, mainly from Engels airport, with a total of 172 sorties, of which 60 attacked targets of armed groups, 65 mines were carried out on roads/passes and lots, 24 were illuminated on targets and the ground, and 23 were transferred, for a total of 737 flights. Before the start of the campaign to capture Grozny, on 1 December the Front Air And Long-Range Aviation carried out two bombing raids on three airfields: Hankara, Kalinovskaya and North Grozny.
From April 18 to 21, 2000, the Russian Air Force's long-range strategic bombing aviation held a four-day large-scale tactical flight exercise in the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea, the middle and lower Volga River and the exercise grounds of the North Caucasus Military District to complete the winter training mission, including the Tu-22M3.
From August 18 to August 25, 2005, China and Russia carried out the "Peace Mission-2005" exercise, the Tu-160, Tu-95, and Tu-22 long-range strategic bombers of the 37th Long-range Aviation Group of the Russian Air Force were unveiled at the same time, and the Tu-22M3 "Backfire" long-range bomber attacked the target at sea with a Kh-55 cruise missile with a range of 3,000 kilometers.
During the Military Exercise in April 2006, the Tu-160 and Tu-95 bombers successfully launched four missiles, while the Tu-22 bombers conducted bombing exercises. A total of 53 sorties were conducted and 200 heavy bombs were dropped by the aircraft.
Russian Tu-22M3 on a bombing mission in Syria
From September 2 to September 30, 2006, the commander of the Russian Air Force, General Mikhailov, personally commanded and organized the 37th Army of the Supreme Command to conduct a live exercise for the chief command of the long-range strategic aviation force. During the exercise, more than 50 Tu-160, Tu-95MS, and Tu-22M3 bombers were dispatched by long-range aviation units, escorted by more than 20 sorties of front-line aviation and fighter aviation, and assisted by Il-78 air tankers and A-50 radar early warning aircraft, and more than 70 combat flights were completed, crossing the Arctic Ocean, the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Black Sea, and the Caspian Sea, and completing 22 cruise missile launches, tactical missile launches, and aerial bomb drop missions.
On 8 August 2008, armed conflict broke out between Georgia and Russia over South Ossetia. In the Russo-Georgian conflict, the long-range aviation Tu-22M3 was once again put on the battlefield, and the 1 Tu-22M3 of the 52nd Regiment of Heavy Bombing Aviation was shot down at an altitude of 6,000 meters on the way back from bombing the 1 infantry brigade assembly site in Georgia, failing to reproduce the previous zero loss record.
On February 26 and 27, 2013, Tu-22M3 bombers simulated the launch of cruise missiles at a nearby Japanese King Kong-class guided-missile destroyer equipped with the Aegis system and an anti-aircraft missile base, in a military parade in Russia commemorating the 70th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War.
From August to September 2016, the Long-range Aviation Corps of the Russian Air force dispatched six Tu-22M3 strategic bombers in a row to attack raqqa, the base camp of the extremist organization "Islamic State" in Syria.
Overall evaluation
Tu-22M3 fleet at Engels Airport
The Tu-95 and Tu-160 and Tu-22M are russia's main bombers, the Tu-22M3 (NATO code name "Backfire" C) is a supersonic, variable wing long-range strategic bomber, which has nuclear strike, conventional attack and anti-ship capabilities, good low-altitude penetration performance, so that its survivability is much higher than the former Soviet Union's previous bombers, due to supersonic flight capabilities and the use of variable wing design, is still one of the main models of the Russian bomber force.
The Tu-22M3 supersonic long-range strategic bomber can attack all European countries except Portugal and Norway, and if refueled in the air, it can also take off from the former Soviet Union via the Arctic base, attack targets on the Us mainland, and fly back to the domestic base. It is also the fastest of the world's most equipped bombers, and as the latest improvement of the Tu-22 bomber family, it has a huge advantage that other aircraft do not have.
The operational performance of the Tu-22M3 bomber is not much worse than that of the Tu-95 and Tu-160, and thanks to its two single turbofan engines with a thrust of 245 kN and excellent aerodynamic shape, the model has supersonic penetration attack combat capability, as a professional maritime anti-ship combat platform, is one of the most feared weapons of the Navy's aircraft carrier fleet, so in the most advanced talks between the United States and the Soviet Union held in Vienna in 1982, the United States insisted that the Soviet Union cut the development plan of the Tu-22M series bombers. It was only in the end that the Soviet Union insisted that the type was a medium-range bomber that it was able to retain its continued development.
The Tu-22M3 is one of the core components of Russia's strategic bombing and anti-ship operations. Due to the performance of the Tu-22M bomber, combined with the Soviet Union's reconnaissance of sea targets, electronic warfare capabilities and naval ships, the Soviet Union's tactics of attacking the US aircraft carrier battle group with a large number of anti-ship missiles were further strengthened. The U.S. military's AIM-54 Phoenix missile, F-14 Tomcat fighter, and Aegis combat system are all built to correspond to such tactics.