Russian aviation. Bombers of Russia

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Many have heard more than once about the tank power of Russia. Bombers, oddly enough, are mentioned much less frequently. But do not neglect aviation, as well as the fleet. This is a very important component that allows you to control the airspace of the state, protecting it or attacking the enemy from the air. In this article, we will just talk about the strategic bombers and fighters of Russia, which are in service.

Strategic bomber

Before proceeding directly to the topic, I would like to talk about what equipment belongs to the strategic class, because it is it that is of the greatest importance for modern aviation. So, a strategic combat aircraft is designed to deliver nuclear strikes by dropping bombs or missiles on strategically important enemy targets. At the same time, one should not confuse strategic and tactical military equipment. The latter is used to destroy equipment and manpower of the enemy. It is worth noting that at present only two countries in the world are armed with strategicbombers, this is Russia and the United States. Well, now let's move on to the consideration of specific models.

Tu-160, or "Blackjack"

All aircraft receive NATO classification and name. In this case, it's Blackjack. At the same time, the factory designation is "Object 70". Such Russian bombers belong to the class of strategic bombers with variable sweep wing. This unit was developed at the Tupolev Academy back in the 1970s and is still in use.

Today it is the largest and most powerful aircraft of its class, with variable wing geometry and maximum takeoff weight. Pilots often call the Tu-160 "white swan". We can say that during the development of the bomber, stringent requirements were put forward that had to be met. For example, the total mass of the combat load was to be at least 45 tons, and the flight range - at least 10-15 thousand kilometers. Since all the requirements were met, more than 25 copies were mass-produced, and there were also about 8 prototypes.

Briefly about the technical characteristics of the Tu-160

As noted above, the aircraft has a variable sweep wing. The minimum span is 57.7 meters. The most interesting detail is the power plant, which consists of 4 NK-32 engines. Each motor is a three-shaft 2-circuit with a displacement of flows at the outlet. As for the fuel system, it is designed for 171,000 liters of aviation fuel (nitrided). However, for each enginethere is a separate tank, but part of the fuel is reserved for centering. Aerial refueling is possible.

As for weapons, the Tu-160 is Russian bombers that have destructive power. Initially, the unit was developed exclusively as a carrier of long-range cruise missiles. But in the future, it was decided to somewhat expand the range of ammunition. Currently, they are trying to add high-precision long-range cruise missiles such as x-555 and x-101.

Russian long-range bombers: Tu-95MS

This unit has received the NATO classification Bear, which means "Bear". This is a turboprop strategic bomber-missile carrier. It is worth noting that the Tu-95 became a real symbol of the Cold War, which is why the decision was made to deeply modify and create a more efficient and powerful Tu-95MS. It is worth noting that the bomber is the last one put into service in the whole world, and therefore the newest, which is important. This aircraft has gone through a huge number of modifications. The latter consisted in the possibility of hitting important enemy targets with cruise missiles in all weather conditions and at any time of the day. It was the Tu-95MS that set the record for a non-stop flight. In 43 hours, a pair of bombers flew about 30 thousand kilometers, with four refueling in the air.

About the armament of the Tu-95MS

The new Russian bomber Tu-95MS has a total bombload of about 12 tons. The fuselage bomb bay provides for the possibility of placing nuclear free-fall bombs with a caliber of 9,000 kilograms. In addition, the Tu-95MS is equipped with Kh-20 cruise missiles. They are mainly designed to destroy enemy radio-contrast targets at a distance of 300 to 600 kilometers.

It is worth noting that many experts say that the Tu-95MS is the key, that is, the main part of Russian aviation. The aircraft is equipped with Kh-55 cruise missiles. At the same time, from 5 to 10 such missiles are placed in various modifications of the missile carrier. In some cases, a device for the free release of a nuclear bomb is dismantled, due to its uselessness. On board there is also defensive armament, which consists of 23-millimeter aircraft guns. Their number varies depending on the modification and can be from 3 to 8 pieces.

New Russian strategic bomber Tu-22M

"Reverse flash", according to NATO classification, or "product 45" - the factory name. It is a supersonic long-range bomber with adjustable wing geometry. T-22M - the latest modification of the Tu-22 - is not much different from the Tu-22K. Many say that it was the result of political manipulation. So, the development of the Tu-22M was started only to save money. Nevertheless, the decision turned out to be not the worst, the aircraft is still in service with Russia and shows good results.

Today there are many modifications of the Tu-22M, such as Tu-22M0, Tu-22M1 andTu-22M2 and M3. But, despite this, all Russian bombers of this class differ insignificantly from each other, which is why it is customary to talk about the Tu-22M. Although it cannot be said that all the modifications made did not improve the technical characteristics of the unit. For example, the mass of the Tu-22M1 was reduced by 3 tons, due to which it was possible to improve the aerodynamic characteristics. And the Tu-22M2 managed to be equipped with more powerful long-range cruise missiles.

A little about weapons

Any promising Russian bomber should have on board effective defensive weapons and powerful nuclear missiles that would hit strategically important enemy targets. All this was in the Tu-22M3, the latest modification of the Tu-22M. The total bomb load is 24 tons. At the same time, anti-ship missiles, free-falling nuclear bombs, mines and a pair of Kh-22 cruise missiles can be on board. The key feature is the presence on board the so-called SURO (missile weapon control system), which provides for the presence of 4 aeroballistic missiles.

As for defense, there is a remote-controlled stern gun mount with an increased rate of fire (up to 4 thousand rounds per minute) and a shortened barrel block. Aiming is carried out using the Krypton system, and firing can be switched to automatic mode.

Conclusion

We reviewed the main Russian bombers. A photoyou can view these machines in this article. It is worth noting that all the equipment is in service with the Russian Federation. Many of the above aircraft are deployed on the territory of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and other countries of the former Soviet Union. Currently, many military bases have long been disbanded and abandoned, and everything that remains there is commonly called the "airplane graveyard." In addition, as noted above, only the United States and Russia have missile bombers, but this is according to official data. In principle, this is all that can be said about the main heavy aviation equipment, which is used and will not be written off in the coming years. Many projects are currently in development, but details on this subject have not been disclosed. And it makes no sense to talk about what has not yet taken off into the sky.