The Tu-142M is a long-range anti-submarine / reconnaissance aircraft designed by the Tupolev Design Bureau and created by the Kuibyshev Aviation and Taganrog Mechanical Plants. The aircraft is designed to provide enhanced naval combat capabilities. Can be deployed in anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations, maritime reconnaissance and close patrols.
The aircraft is equipped with a set of anti-submarine weapons, which protect territorial waters from enemy submarines. The aircraft has been in service with the Indian Navy's 312th Squadron (INAS 312) since 1988 and is deployed on anti-submarine warfare and patrol missions in the Indian Ocean.
Tu-142M order and delivery
The Tupolev Design Bureau received an executive order to design and develop the Tu-95 based on the long-range Tu-142 turboprop strategic bomber. The prototype was built at the Kuibyshev Aviation Plant and first flew in June 1968. The first aircraft entered test flights of Soviet naval aviation in May 1970 and entered service in December 1972.
The first modern Tu-142M with advanced avionics equipment made its maiden flight in 1985. Eight Tu-142M (IN-311~318) export (Tu-142ME) were built at the Taganrog Aviation Plant (now TAVIA) in 1987~1988 for use by the Indian Navy. The aircraft entered service in 1988.
In 2006~2007, the two Tu-142M in service with the Indian Navy were upgraded by TAVIA, a division of Beriev Aircraft Corporation. In July 2010, two more aircraft were refitted. In August 2014, the Indian Navy took delivery of the 7th modernized Tu-142ME (IN-317).
Tu-142M design and features
The Tu-142M anti-submarine aircraft has a single-mid-wing layout. Three-point landing gear with a single tail and controllable front wheels. It adopts a monocoque fuselage with a length of 46.4m and a maximum diameter of 2.9m. The fuselage contains a set of stringers with a cross-frame with a pressure-bearing skin.
Two cargo compartments are located in the lower part of the fuselage. The tail section is equipped with a rear gun mount. The nose cone section is equipped with an aerial refueling system. The hatch is located at the front wheel compartment. Tu-142MK air refueling system ↓
Tu-142MZ cockpit ↓
The aircraft is about 49.5m long, 12.12m high, has a wingspan of about 50m, and has a maximum take-off weight of 185,000kg, and is operated by 11 crew members, including crew and pilots/observers. Tu-142MZ nose cone section ↓
Tu-142MR
The Tu-142MR 'Orel' Bear J, the last major variant of the Bear, is a VLF band radio communication relay conceptually similar to the American E-6A TACAMO. It provides communications relay capabilities for underwater SSBNs, SSGNs, and SSNs (SSBNs: ballistic missile submarines, SSGN: cruise missile submarines, SSN: attack nuclear submarines). The Bear J is based on the F fuselage, but has a unique ventral fairing containing VLF antenna cable reels, a unique nose radome and antenna on the vertical tail.
Communication equipment
Communication with submarines is the main purpose of the Tu-142MR. To fulfill its duties, it is equipped with Oryol ("eagle", Oryol means eagle) mission equipment.
Designed by the Institute for Research and Development in Radiocommunication in Gorky. The device is closely related to the aircraft, so the nickname of the aircraft is Oryol.
2 HF receivers, 2 VHF (very high frequency) radios, 2 UHF (ultra-high frequency) radios, VHF radio transmitters, 2 sets of VLF receivers, 7 HF receivers. The power supply, Etyud relay equipment, transmitter and receiver are located in the front weapons compartment of the Tu-142MR.
The communication antenna is located at the tip of the tail with a forward protrusion and the rest on the back. The antennas consist of a traditional HF rail, a Satcom dome and a large Glonass satellite navigation blister, and a waterdrop fairing above the satellite communications antenna, located directly behind the trailing edge of the wing. The crew compartment is protected against very low frequencies or electromagnetic radiation. Made with 1mm steel wire mesh and special coating, the windows have removable wire mesh frames.
The Tu-142MR was upgraded as an advanced submarine communications development mission
The Tu-142MR radio repeater will be equipped with advanced communications equipment and capable of relaying tasks from relay to sea to launch the Advanced Cruise Missile (SLCM) Kalibr (SS-N-27 Sizzler) system and the Bulava (SS-N-32) ICBM. In addition to advanced avionics equipment, the core of the Tu-142's cutting-edge communications and relay system is the release of a 9,000m-long VLF towed antenna from a special drum in the fuselage, which allows the aircraft to communicate with submarines deep underwater.
The Tu-142MR special communications aircraft is derived from the Tu-142M long-range anti-submarine fighter and officially became an aircraft of the Navy's nuclear force reserve command and control relay system. In the event of a global nuclear confrontation, the Tu-142MR's primary mission is to transmit mission numbers and launch commands pre-downloaded to missiles to nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines on duty.
Back in the mid-80s, the Tu-142MR communication equipment was incompatible with the latest 885 Yasen project (Yasen, Severodvinsk class), similar equipment and automatic control systems of project 885M Yasen-M, project 995 Borei (Dolgorukiy, Borei-class of the North Wind) and Borei-A submarine of project 955A.
Tu-142MR upgrade feasibility tests were conducted in 2014~16 at the State Flight Test Center of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Akhtubinsk. At present, Russia is developing an automated command and control system for strategic forces, which can both command strategic missile launches in real time and retarget targets in the ascending section.
The advanced strategic forces automated command and control system is suitable not only for all-out warfare, but also for local wars, in order to transmit mission data to submarines carrying "Caliber" submarine-launched cruise missiles (Kalibr SLCM), which have received good reviews in the Syrian operation. The Russian naval aviation detachment is in service with about 10 Tu-142MRs at the Montgokhto Naval Air Station of the Pacific Fleet and the Kipelovo Naval Air Station of the Northern Fleet.
The aircraft is equipped with two weapons bays with a total capacity of 11,340kg of combat load: sonar buoys (RGB-15/25/55A/75), up to 12 torpedoes (APR-2, APR-3 and UMGT-1). The typical load is 126 sonar buoys and 6 torpedoes. APR-2 torpedo ↓
The APR-3/APR-3M "Oryol-M" anti-submarine missile is designed to engage modern advanced submarines, including multipurpose nuclear warheads with speeds up to 40kn, depths of 800m to periscope positions, as well as surface ships in any body of water.
The Kh-35 is a subsonic anti-ship cruise missile developed by the Soviet Union in 1983. Two-stage liquid-fueled propulsion, weighing 480kg, can be launched from fighter jets, attack helicopters, bombers and naval surface ships. The modern variant KH-35U was deployed in 2003 and is equipped on the Russian fifth-generation fighter Sukhoi PAK FA. The KH-35U uses inertial guidance with a GLONASS receiver and an active radar seeker to find targets.
The Department of Defense has tested the Aviation and Ship Automated Control System (ACS). At a distance of hundreds of kilometers, the Tu-142 transmits data to attack ships and launches an attack. The ACS itself determines the most important targets and decides how to destroy. This capability is mainly used in the latest Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles. It can also be used with missiles of the previous generation: "Yakhont", "Vulcan" and "Calibre".
Tu-142M onboard sensor
The Tu-142M anti-submarine aircraft is equipped with the DRDO Homi onboard electronic support system for identifying, locating and detecting enemy targets.
It combines the Korshun-K integrated automatic search targeting system and the MMS-106 Ladoga magnetometer to detect nuclear submarines. The aircraft is also equipped with the Strela airborne communication system, the NPK-142M navigation system, the Sayany airborne defense system and the Nerchinsk hydrological defense system.
Korshun-K integrates an automatic search and sighting system
Four versions existed, Tu-142 Bear F Mod.1, Mod.2, Mod.3 and Mod.4. The separate Tu-142MRTs, intended to replace the Bear D version, were tested in the 1980s with the Uspekh-1AV system, which was eventually abandoned in favor of the Sistema Morskoi Kosmicheskoi Razvedki i Tselkazaniya (SMKRITs) satellite system.
The Tu-142M Bear F Mod.2 variant introduced the Leninets Korshun surface search radar, which was replaced by the improved Korshun-K in Mod.3 and the earlier Leninets Berkut-95 radar with the Il-38 May by the improved Korshun-K in Mod.4. The Tu-142M also introduces the Pingvin thermal imager, Visla-2 towed MAD sensor, infrared tracker and diesel smoke sniffer, and the NPK-142M navigation kit.
The Tu-142MK Bear F Mod.3 adds the MMS-106 Ladoga MAD boom to the vertical stabilizer. The Tu-142MZ Bear F Mod.4 adds an upgraded Zarech acoustic system, NK-12MP engine, GSh-23 machine gun on the Backfire, an improved electronic warfare suite, improved AAR equipment, and some with a larger weapons bay: the Tu-142MZ Bear F Mod.4 entered service in 1993. In 1994, the last Tu-142MZ left the Taganrog line.
MMS-106 Ladoga magnetometer
MAD [MMS-106 Ladoga]–(Tu-142MK) MAD (Magnetic Anomaly Detection), maximum range: 1.9km.
Gefest SVP-24
The Tu-142 received the high-precision guidance system Gefest SVP-24, which made missile and bomb strikes unusually accurate during counterterrorism operations in Syria.
Gefest includes guidance, navigation and control equipment. The device automatically calculates the trajectory of the bomb to the target, taking into account speed, altitude and weather conditions. SVP-24 provides an effect comparable to precision-guided weapons.
Gefest increased the effectiveness of anti-submarine torpedoes and common air bombs. Maximum accuracy is not required for torpedo launch, since ground-seeking warheads detect enemy submarines in the surface or potential water. If necessary, Gefest can place sonar buoys at sea to search for enemy submarines. The guidance device receives information from aircraft and warships.
The Tu-142 is designed to search for and destroy submarines, is engaged in electronic intelligence. With a combat radius of more than 5,000 km, it can patrol and fly for several hours in the nuclear submarine infested area. Orange arrow on black background on MFD below, showing the target direction ↓ to the pilot
Engine and performance
The Tu-142M is powered by 4 NK-12M turboprop engines from the Kuznetsov Design Bureau. Each engine has an output of 15,000 shp. The propulsion system also includes four coaxial eight-bladed reversible pitch propellers. The aircraft has a fuel capacity of 87,000kg.
Development of the NK-12 began in 1952 and remains the most powerful turboprop engine ever produced. It is driven by a double planetary gear, two coaxial counter-rotating propellers. It was developed by former Junkers factory engineers in Kuibyshev. These technicians spent in 1946 with many Soviet aviation specialists.
The Tu-142 flies at 442mph and has a top speed of 574.76mph at high altitudes. The combat radius is 3,977 meters, and the maximum range is 7,953.55 meters. Effective ceiling 39,000ft.