Russian bombers are one of the main striking forces of Russia, the guarantor of its strength and power.

Bombers can be divided into strategic and front-line.

Strategic bombers

A strategic bomber is a combat aircraft designed to destroy objects of strategic importance deep behind enemy lines. A strategic bomber is almost always a carrier of nuclear weapons, missiles or bombs.

The most powerful strategic bomber in Russia -.

Tu-160 " White Swan».

The history of the creation of the Tu-160 bomber goes back to the 80s of the last century. It was the height of the Cold War between the USSR and the USA. The US Army began to receive B-1 strategic bombers. The Soviet Union could not leave such a step of a potential enemy unanswered, and began developing an analogue. As a result of these works, the Tu-160 aircraft appeared.

Strategic bomber Tu-160 "White Swan".

Soviet designers already had experience in creating similar aircraft, for example, the Tu-144 passenger aircraft and the Tu-22M3 long-range bomber had already been created.

The first flight of the serial Tu-160 was made in 1984.

Tu-160 "White Swan".

Tu-160 has a variable sweep wing.

See other photos.

Tu-95 can be called a veteran of Russia's strategic aviation. See photo:

The Tu-95 was nicknamed "Bear", it is one of the most prominent symbols of the Cold War between the USSR and the USA.

A pair of Tu-95s in flight.

The first flight of the Tu-95 was made back in 1955, but after so many years, having undergone many upgrades, the Tu-95 is still in service with the Russian army.

See other photos.

Tu-22M3 - long-range bomber with variable wing geometry.

See more.

Photo of Tu-22M3.

Tu-22M3 was created in the USSR. Work on his consciousness began in the mid-60s of the 20th century, but at that time the leadership of the USSR relied on missiles, which made it difficult and slowed down the work on the project.

frontline bombers

Front-line bomber - a bomber designed to destroy enemy objects and equipment at a tactical distance. This type of bombers is also called tactical. Outwardly, front-line bombers are similar to fighters, although they are not designed for air combat.

Su-24

Su-24 is a front-line bomber of the Sukhoi Design Bureau, which is in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces and the armies of a number of other states.

strategic bomber- a combat aircraft capable of carrying aviation weapons (air bombs, cruise and ballistic missiles), including nuclear weapons, designed to deliver bombing and / or missile strikes against strategically significant objects located on the territory of an enemy state, as a rule, outside the main theaters of military operations , in order to undermine 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 in mass combat load, which has the most powerful damaging effect;

* more comfortable living conditions for the crew, in order to maintain its performance in a long flight (in combat duty mode).

In Russia, there are 2 types of strategic bombers in service, these are Tu-160 And Tu-95ms

Tu-160

According to NATO classification "Blackjack"

In 1984, the Tu-160 was put into mass production at the Kazan Aviation Plant (KAPO). The first serial machine (No. 1-01) took off on October 10, 1984, the second serial (No. 1-02) - on March 16, 1985.

In January 1992, Boris Yeltsin decided on a possible suspension of the ongoing serial production of the Tu-160 if the United States stopped mass production of the B-2 aircraft. By this time, 35 aircraft had been produced. By 1994, KAPO had transferred six Tu-160 bombers to the Russian Air Force. They were stationed at the airfield near Engels in the Saratov region.

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 until the completion of state tests, which was due to the outstripping pace of putting the American B-1 bombers into service.

By 1991, Priluki received 19 aircraft, of which two squadrons were formed.

After the collapse Soviet Union 8 of them were returned to Russia, 10 were cut at the direction of the United States (the aircraft with the fewest flight hours were cut first), one was sent to the air museum. On March 30, 2000, the Tu-160 of the Ukrainian Air Force with tail number 26 flew to the Poltava Aviation Museum.

In the presence of US senators Richard Lugar and Karl Levin, the Tu-160 with tail number 24, released in 1989 and having 466 flight hours, was cut. The second to be disposed of was the Tu-160 with tail number 13, built in 1991 and having less than 100 flight hours...

On September 8, 199, an intergovernmental agreement was signed in Yalta between Ukraine and Russia on the exchange of 8 Tu-160s, 3 Tu-95MS, 575 cruise missiles and airfield equipment in payment for natural gas supplied by Russia in the amount of $285 million. The transfer was completed on 02/21/2000, when the last two Tu-160s flew to the Engels-2 airbase

Most of the Tu-160 strategic missile carriers have their own names.

"Andrey Tupolev"

Tu-160 is the most modern strategic bomber in service with Russia, or rather its last modification Tu-160M-1, which by the beginning of 2017, there were 5 aircraft.

Designation Tu-160M-1 - get boards that have undergone major repairs and modernization. They received a new navigation system K-042K-1 and an autopilot ABSU-200-1.

The Aerospace Forces are also integrating new weapons systems on the Tu-160, including the ability to carry 12 Kh-101/Kh-102 strategic cruise missiles deployed on two new 9A829K3 six-shot revolving rotary launchers.

Kh-55 on a drum kit

Intercontinental cast

On September 10, 2008, two Tu-160 bombers (“Alexander Molodchiy” with number 07 and “Vasily Senko” with number 11) flew from their base in Engels to the Libertador airfield in Venezuela, using the Olenegorsk airfield as a jump airfield in the Murmansk region. The flight from the intermediate landing site in Olenegorsk to Venezuela took 13 hours.

November 8, 2013 another pair of Russian Tu-160 bombers "Alexander Golovanov" (number 05, RF-94104) and "Alexander Novikov" (number 12, RF-94109), made a transatlantic flight to Venezuela and Nicaragua.

On November 17, 2015, two Tu-160s (Vitaly Kopylov and Vladimir Sudets) took part in real combat operations for the first time, launching 16 Kh-101 cruise missiles at targets in Syria. In the following days, the Tu-160s continued their strikes, using both Kh-101 and Kh-555 missiles.

launch Kh-101 with Tu-160

Without a doubt, the Tu-160 is one of the most advanced aviation systems in the world, with great potential and unsurpassed power, and also, it is very beautiful, for which it received the nickname "White Swan" in Russia.

At present, the Russian Ministry of Defense has begun to conclude the first contracts for the resumption of production of Tu-160M2 strategic bombers. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced that an additional 50 modernized strategic bombers under the Tu-160M2 index will be built.

Now there are 16 units in service. Maximum speed 2250 km / h, maximum flight range 14.000 km, combat radius 7300 km, flight altitude (ceiling) 22.000, maximum combat load 45 tons.

Crew - 4 people, length 54 meters, height 13m, maximum width 55.7m.

Tu-95ms

Tu-95ms

According to NATO codification: "Bear" - "Bear"

The first Soviet strategic bomber that could reach US territory and attack the enemy with nuclear weapons. The first flight was made on November 12, 1952, test pilot - A.D. Flight. The bomber went into production in 1955 and was produced in various modifications until 1992. A total of 500 units were produced.

The world's fastest propeller-driven aircraft. Until now, it has been the world's only serial bomber and missile carrier with turboprop engines. was Soviet symbol ensuring military-strategic parity in the cold war.

On the basis of modifications of the Tu-95, many different aircraft were created, for example, the passenger intercontinental liner - Tu-114.

Tu-114

In turn, on the basis of the Tu-114, an AWACS combat aircraft, the Tu-126, was created.

Tu-126 and "skyhawk"

The development of the project "95" was a variant of the PLO aircraft modification of the Tu-142

Tu-142

Tu-95V (existed in a single copy) was converted to be used as a delivery vehicle for the most powerful thermonuclear bomb in the world. The weight of this bomb was 26.5 tons, and the power in TNT equivalent was 50 megatons. After testing the tsar bomb on October 30, 1961, this aircraft was no longer used for its intended purpose.

Tu-95V and Tsar Bomba

Tu-95MS, which form the backbone of Russia's strategic aviation, are carriers of Kh-55 cruise missiles. In the Tu-95MS6 modification, six such missiles are placed in the cargo compartment on a multi-position drum-type launcher. Tu-95MSM can use Kh-101 and Kh-102 missiles and have internal and external suspension holders.

Tu-95MSM

Some Tu-95MS aircraft are named after cities.

In the 1960s, the Tu-95 was intercepted by a British Lightning fighter, while maneuvering with a bomber, the British aircraft crashed

In one of the flights over the Atlantic, the Soviet Tu-95 was intercepted by three American F-4 Phantom fighters. Trying to fly under the plane, the American crashed into the wing with his tail and lost control. The pilots ejected and the Phantom crashed, the Soviet plane successfully returned to the airfield

Tu-95 and F-4 "Phantom"

After upgrading to the Tu-95MS, demonstration flights were performed - a non-stop flight around the perimeter of the borders of the USSR and a flight to the borders of the USA and Canada through the North Pole.

After the collapse of the USSR, regiments from Kazakhstan were transferred to Russia. In 1998, Ukraine began to destroy strategic bombers inherited from the USSR, using funds allocated by the United States. But three Tu-95s (as well as 8 Tu-160s and a batch of cruise missiles) were exchanged for the cancellation of part of the debt for gas purchases.

By the spring of 2002, 19 Ukrainian Tu-95MS, as well as 5 Russian Tu-95s (3 Tu-95MS and 2 Tu-95K22) were destroyed on the territory of Ukraine. aircraft repair plant in the city of Belaya Tserkov. Three Tu-95MS aircraft were left in Ukraine. One became a museum piece in the Poltava Aviation Museum. The other two were converted into reconnaissance aircraft and put into storage near the Nikolaev Aircraft Repair Plant. In August 2015, it became known that these 2 aircraft were sold to unknown buyers by the end of 2013!

MODERNIZATION OF Tu-95MS

The first Tu-95MS aircraft modified to carry Kh-101/Kh-102 missiles, named Saratov, was rolled out by the TANTK [Taganrog Aviation Scientific and Technical Complex] plant in early 2015. In the same year, the Aviacor plant in Samara began overhauls Tu-95MS aircraft with the installation of pylons for new missiles, at a rate of three aircraft per year.

As with other Russian aircraft, modernization is carried out in several stages. The first stage is to replace the navigational equipment; serial modernization began in 2014. Complete modernization of the Tu-95MSM provides for the replacement of the Obzor-MS radar with a new Novella-NV1.021 radar, installation new system displaying information from SOI-021, the upgraded airborne defense system "Meteor-NM2", and, finally, the modernization of Kuznetsov NK-12MPM turboprop engines and the installation of new propellers AV-60T.

"Bear" flies over the US aircraft carrier, accompanied by F/A-18

On the night of February 9-10, 2008, four Tu-95s took off from the Ukrainka airbase. Two of them flew close to the air border of Japan and one of them, according to the statements of the Japanese side, which later issued a note of protest, violated the border for three minutes. The second pair of aircraft headed towards the Nimitz aircraft carrier. When Russian aircraft were about 800 km away from the ship, four F / A-18s were raised to intercept.

the famous photo of the Tu-95 and Hornet taken from the aircraft carrier Nimitz

At a distance of 80 km from the aircraft carrier group, American aircraft intercepted the Tu-95, but despite this, one of the "bears" twice passed over the "Nimitz" at an altitude of about 600 meters.

For the first time Tu-95MS were involved during the Russian military operation in Syria from 17 to 20 November 2015. The strikes were carried out by Kh-55 cruise missiles against Islamic State targets.

Start Kh-55SM

Now there are 60 units in service. Maximum speed 830 km / h, maximum flight range 15.000 km, combat radius 6500 km, flight altitude (ceiling) 10.500, maximum combat load 12 tons.

Crew - 7 people, length 49 meters, height 12.5 m, maximum width (wing span) 50 m.

Tu-22M3

According to NATO classification "Backfire" "backfire"

Further supersonic bomber The Tu-22M3 missile carrier with variable wing geometry is the latest, most advanced model of the Tu-22M series. And although he is not a strategic missile carrier, nevertheless, he has many parameters inherent in this class of combat aircraft.

The Tu-22M aircraft is a deep modification of the Tu-22 bomber, which, in turn, was created as a replacement for the outdated Tu-16 supersonic heavy bomber, which formed the basis of the aircraft fleet of the USSR Long-Range Aviation in the 1950s-1960s.

Development of the OKB A.N. Tupolev has been conducted since 1974, and on June 20, 1977, the first test flight took place. The machine entered service with the Air Force in 1978 and was produced until 1993 by the Kazan Aviation Production Association (KAPO). The release of TU 22 M3 was limited by the framework of the agreement on the reduction of strategic offensive arms SALT-2 and 268 units of equipment were produced over the entire period.

Tu-22M3 can solve the following main tasks:

✭destruction (defeat) of military-industrial facilities in the deep operational rear of the theater of operations;

✭destruction (defeat) of objects and targets of the opposing operational-strategic grouping of troops, aviation and air defense;

✭ isolation of the combat area and enemy strike forces from suitable operational-strategic reserves;

✭destruction (defeat) of enemy ship groupings in maritime theaters of military operations;

✭participation in operations of fronts, fleets, air force and air defense forces;

✭ conducting aerial reconnaissance using standard on-board radio electronic equipment and aerial photographic equipment;

✭setting active and passive interference to attacking aircraft, fighter-interceptor control and guidance systems, as well as missile systems

The aircraft can carry three (in overload) X-22 anti-ship cruise missiles (the middle missile is semi-recessed into the fuselage), free-falling bombs or sea mines of various calibers (up to 69 FAB-250 units), with a total weight of up to 24,000 kg. The normal combat load is two X-22 missiles or bombs in the cargo compartment weighing up to 12,000 kg.

Tu-22m with Kh-22 missiles

Tu-22 / M2 and M3 aircraft took part in the hostilities in Afghanistan. For the first time in 1984, Tu-22M2 took part in the battles there. Based at the Mary-2 airfield, they delivered powerful bombing attacks on the positions and bases of the Mujahideen during the Panshir operation of the 40th Army. The second time the Tu-22M was involved in sorties in the fall of 1988, when the withdrawal of units of the 40th Army from Afghanistan began. Thanks to the massive use of Long-Range Aviation bombers (Tu-16 and Tu-22M3), which struck with bombs of up to 9000 kg caliber (Tu-22MZ - up to 3000 kg), it was possible to ensure a relatively "comfortable" withdrawal of units of the 40th army.

Tu-22m over Afghanistan

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Tu-22M aircraft remained only in the Air Forces of Russia and Ukraine, equipment was brought from Belarus to the territory Russian Federation. Just like the Tu-160 strategic bombers, the Tu-22M3 was not needed by Ukraine, and in 2002-2006 60 missile carriers were destroyed in Ukraine (17 Tu-22M2 and 43 Tu-22M3) ...

Destruction of Tu-22M in Ukraine

During the first Chechen war, Tu-22M3 from the Long-Range Aviation of Russia in the period from the end of November 1994 to January 1996 performed more than 100 sorties, of which the main part was to illuminate the battle area with the help of lighting bombs.

The Tu-22M3 also had to take part in a fleeting operation to force Georgia to peace in 2008. In this operation, one Tu-22M3 was shot down by Georgian air defense, which was perhaps the most painful loss of the Russian Armed Forces in this conflict.

At least 14 Tu-22M3 aircraft were involved in the Russian military operation in Syria starting from November 17, 2015

Terrorist bombing in Syria

Flight range, powerful weapons, high speed, make the Tu-22MZ an effective and relatively cheap means of combating naval, including aircraft carrier formations of potential adversaries in the sea and ocean spaces. No wonder this class of domestic aircraft, with light hand Western analysts, received the honorary title of "aircraft carrier killer".

Their importance only grew after the collapse of the USSR. The superiority of the surface fleets of the Western bloc over our fleet has become even greater. The tasks of rapid neutralization, in the event of a threat of conflict, of the enemy's air defense and missile defense in the operational-strategic directions, as well as delivering effective strikes in conditions of local conflicts of varying intensity, remain relevant.

Now there are 62 units in service. Maximum speed 2300 km / h, maximum flight range 7.000 km, combat radius 1500-1850 km, ceiling 13.300, maximum combat load 24 tons.

Crew - 4 people, length 42 meters, height 11m, maximum width (wing span) 34m.

Don't forget to subscribe to world politics in social networks, the main group.

Alexey Zakvasin

On December 23, Russia celebrates the Day of Long-Range Aviation, which is one of the components of the nuclear triad. The structure of the Russian Aerospace Forces includes attack aircraft Tu-95MS, Tu-22M3 and Tu-160. Air cruisers can hit large ground targets and enemy ships, including non-nuclear weapons. Currently, long-range aviation of the Russian Federation is at the stage of modernization. Until 2023, Russia should receive 50 Tu-160M2. In the future, a new generation of PAK DA vehicles will go into service with the Aerospace Forces. On the role and significance of long-range aviation in the structure armed forces RF - in the material RT.

• Bombers Tu-22M3 VKS RF
• RIA News

December 23 is considered the birthday of long-range aviation (DA) in Russia, because on this day in 1914 Nicholas II signed a decree on the creation of a squadron of Ilya Muromets aircraft - the world's first formation of heavy four-engine bombers.

DA began to acquire its modern look during the Cold War. The 1950s-1970s became a period of rapid development of Soviet long-range aviation.

The first original strategic jet bomber of the USSR was the Tu-16 "Badger", which made its first flight on April 27, 1952. Six months later, a Tu-95 Medved turboprop took off into the sky. In 1969, the USSR acquired the Tu-22 supersonic bomber (according to NATO codification - Blinder).

The pinnacle of the development of Soviet design thought was (according to NATO codification - Blackjack), which has been in operation since 1987. Currently, the Aerospace Forces are armed with deeply modernized versions of Soviet vehicles: Tu-95MS, Tu-22M3 and Tu-160 (including Tu-160M1). In addition, Tu-22MR reconnaissance aircraft and Il-78 tankers are classified as DA.

Data on the number of long-range aircraft possessed by the Russian Aerospace Forces differ greatly. According to domestic media, the fleet of the Russian Federation has 30 Tu-95, 12 Tu-22M3 and 16 Tu-160 aircraft. That is a total of 58 cars.

According to the International Institute strategic research(IISS), as part of the Russian DA: 62 Tu-22M3, 50 T-95MS, 11 Tu-160, five Tu-160M1 and one Tu-22MR (total 139 vehicles). The Aerospace Forces deployed four Tu-22M3 squadrons, three Tu-95MS squadrons and one Tu-160 squadron.

Commercial Director magazine Arsenal of the Fatherland, Alexei Leonkov told RT that IISS analysts most likely take into account the aircraft currently in storage. According to him, the most realistic figure is given by Russian sources, and it does not exceed 60-65 cars.

Out of reach

Long-range aviation of Russia is the air component of the Strategic nuclear forces(SYaS) RF. All DA aircraft in service with the RF Armed Forces are capable of delivering strikes with both nuclear and non-nuclear weapons. The tasks of YES include the destruction of strategically important objects deep behind enemy lines. In addition, domestic aircraft can hit large surface targets.

On December 22, 2017, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that over the past five years, long-range aviation had carried out 178 flights as part of air patrols. Since the fall of 2015, the Tu-95MS, Tu-22M3 and Tu-160 have been actively used for. Long-range aviation tested both single and group sorties.

In the operation in the Arab Republic, the White Swans received their baptism of fire. In particular, the Tu-160 successfully used the X-101 and X-55 ultra-long-range cruise missiles. Both missiles have their own variants in the nuclear version - X-102 and X-555, respectively.

“Tu-22M3 operates at tactical depth. The radius of its combat action is somewhat lower than the Tu-95 and Tu-160. The aircraft demonstrated its effectiveness in defeating well-fortified enemy targets in Afghanistan and Syria. Tu-22M3 is also called "aircraft carrier killer". This machine can successfully destroy large surface forces, ”Leonkov noted.

• Long-range bomber Tu-22M3 delivers an air strike on terrorist targets in the province of Deir ez-Zor in Syria
• RIA News

According to the expert, one should not write off the oldest DA Tu-95MS bomber, which is the only turboprop aircraft in the world capable of reaching speeds of over 900 km/h. The upgraded version of the Tu-95 can use the Kh-101/102 air-to-ground strategic cruise missile with a range of 6,000–9,000 km.

Tu-160 has no analogues in the world. The bomber is capable of overcoming enemy air defenses, developing a supersonic speed of 2,500 km/h. The White Swan, if necessary, rises to a height of up to 22,000 meters, thus being out of range of enemy fighters.

“The Tu-160 is a truly incredible machine. It's almost impossible to catch her. An anti-aircraft missile and the most modern fighter will not have time for our plane. For example, the Tu-160 can keep supersonic speed in afterburner for 45 minutes, and the potential “hunter” for it F / A-18 - 10 minutes, ”Leonkov said.

Bet on stealth

In 2015, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation decided to build 50 Tu-160M2 aircraft by 2023. Experts believe that from that moment began the most important stage in the entire modern history of the Russian Federation in the modernization of long-range aviation. In mid-November 2017, the first Tu-160 in nine years was assembled, called "Vitaly Kopylov".

On December 22, in an interview with Krasnaya Zvezda, the commander of long-range aviation, Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash, said that the combat effectiveness of the Tu-160M2 would be two and a half times higher than its Soviet predecessor.

• Bomber-missile carrier Tu-160
• RIA News

“Efficient engines with wider resource capabilities will increase the flight range, which, together with the declared power-to-weight ratio, will keep the Tu-160 strategic missile carrier in the lead among strategic strike systems,” Kobylash explained.

The Tu-160M2 will be fitted with improved avionics and weapons control systems. The modernized "White Swan" should implement the concept of a "glass cockpit" (replacement of mechanical indicators with displays) and an "open side" ( simplified diagram integration of equipment components from different manufacturers).

First of all, the Tu-160M2 are intended to replace the Tu-95MS, which are expected to be withdrawn from service in 2025. "White swans" will form the backbone of the air component of the strategic nuclear forces of Russia until the mass receipt of the PAK DA (Promising Aviation Complex for Long-Range Aviation), which is designed to become a universal combat vehicle.

PAK DA will be manufactured according to the "flying wing" scheme. It was originally planned that the promising aircraft would be supersonic. However, in 2016, the media reported that the Ministry of Defense had settled on a subsonic version. The main requirements of the PAK DA are to be equipped with all types of strike weapons, including hypersonic ones, and low visibility.

• Computer image of the possible appearance of the PAK DA
• Joseph Gatial

The bomber will apply Newest technologies reducing radar visibility. It is known that radar-absorbing materials will be used in the design of the aircraft. In this case, all weapons must be placed inside the hull. The first flight of the PAK DA is expected in 2025.

“PAK DA decided to sacrifice high speeds in favor of improved stealth characteristics. If it is possible to strike at targets from a long distance, high speed is not required from a bomber, but the ability to reach the missile launch distance unnoticed by the enemy is needed, ”Vadim Kozyulin, professor of the Academy of Military Sciences, explained the situation in an interview with RT.

According to the expert, in the future all long-range bombers will be included in the common reconnaissance and information field of inter-troop cooperation. Taking into account the development of means of delivery and destruction of the aviation component of the strategic nuclear forces, the country's celestial nuclear shield can be considered a reliable deterrent for potential external aggressors, summed up Kozyulin.

The B-52 and Tu-160 strategic bombers, developed in the middle of the 20th century, are still in service. They are timeless. Both aircraft have repeatedly participated in hostilities.

During the Cold War era, the United States and the Soviet Union intimidated each other for several decades by the threat of destroying the enemy with nuclear weapons. The efforts of millions of people and countless funds were spent on the development and deployment of weapons systems equipped with the most modern technologies to guarantee the complete annihilation of the enemy state in the event that the cold war goes into a hot stage.

In the course of this arms race, both sides have developed bombers capable of crossing oceans and continents to drop nuclear bombs directly on enemy territory. Subsequently, when this became impossible due to improvements in air defense systems, missiles were placed on these aircraft to launch as close to the target as possible. It seems incredible that some of these marvels of engineering from the 1950s and 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 serve.

At the controls of some aircraft sit the grandchildren of their first pilots, and these devices do not lose their effectiveness. They are being modernized so as not to be withdrawn from service, for example, the American B-52 or 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 era will be with us for years to come, some of them will last more than a hundred years, which is an eternity for an aircraft.

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, 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 hostilities. The B-52 Stratofortress (flying fortress) was developed as an intercontinental jet bomber carrying unguided nuclear bombs to strike cities and strategically important infrastructure in the USSR.

© RIA Novosti, Skrynnikov

Nuclear bombs have never been dropped from these aircraft, which were used for operational-tactical purposes in all armed conflicts involving the United States, starting from the 1965 war in Vietnam. But thousands of tons of unguided and guided conventional bombs were dropped from them, and now they continue to plow the sky, sometimes piloted by the grandchildren of their first commanders. Between themselves, the pilots call this bomber Buff (Buff). This is an acronym formed from the words Big Ugly Fat Fucker (big, ugly, fat type).

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

Context

The National Interest 03/30/2016

War makes Su-35 even more formidable

The National Interest 08.06.2017

Russian "Alligators" are improving in Syria

Al Madena news 06/05/2017
The bomber has swept wings (sweep angle 35 degrees), from which hang four twin compartments with Pratt & Whitney TF-33 turbojet engines. The device can reach a maximum speed of up to 1046 km / h (650 miles per hour or Mach 0.86). The maximum flight range without in-flight refueling is 14,000 kilometers (the ferry range is more than 16,000 kilometers), but with in-flight refueling, the maximum flight range depends on the endurance of the crew. The aircraft can fly at an altitude 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 gunners were placed in it to fire from anti-aircraft guns removed from the device in its latest modifications.

Designed to carry heavy bomb loads, the B-52 is equipped with a large internal cargo hold and four underwing weapon suspension systems, making it capable of carrying 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 mass 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 electronic equipment installed on board were improved, the structure of the tail section was changed, including the location of the tail machine guns (which were subsequently removed from the device). Also, the aircraft were equipped with new target designators, electronic warfare systems, modified models of engines with greater power and lower fuel consumption. Currently, the US Air Force has about 70 B-52 bombers in full combat readiness, with another 20 in reserve. All devices belong to modification H, have been upgraded with a service life extension.

The first combat missions of these aircraft, originally designed for participation in nuclear war, were the so-called carpet bombing using unguided bombs with a conventional charge (during the Vietnam War) similar to those used during World War II. During the US military campaign in the Persian Gulf, B-52s carried out high-altitude bombing and 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-guided) on command from the ground. Equipping aircraft with the Litening module since 2007 made it possible to use them to perform the above tasks. In addition, the B-52 can be used to patrol marine areas and take on board mines or Harpoon missiles. The speed and range of the bomber allows it to fly over vast areas during search operations.

During the long years of service of the B-52, at least 11 vehicles were lost as a result of air crashes, including the B-52G, which on January 17, 1966 collided with a KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft in the sky over the Spanish village of Palomares (province of Almeria). 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 received such serious damage that they could hardly reach the Allied airfields. In turn, the gunners of two B-52D aircraft shot down two MiG-21 fighters from the tail machine guns. Currently, B-52s continue to perform combat missions in Syria and Iraq, striking the positions of terrorist groups, including the "Islamic State" (the organization is banned in the Russian Federation - approx. Per.), And carry out flights for "shows of force" in areas of high international tension: the Baltics, Eastern Europe or the South China Sea.

The last B-52 in production has been in service for 55 years and has tens of thousands of flight hours, but the 1950s-style design of these aircraft and repeated upgrades and modifications keep them 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 work to study options for replacing the latest version of Pratt & Whitney TF-33 engines with the most modern ones. power plants, which should reduce the cost of aircraft operation (the cost of a flight hour, fuel consumption) and increase the flight range.

Multimedia

Fighters, bombers and attack helicopters Russian Air Force

InoSMI 13.08.2010

"Mace" hit the target

World of Weapons 06/28/2017
The cost of upgrading the B-52 bomber fleet, including rebuilding the cargo hold to allow it to be loaded with guided munitions, is $227 million. In the period from 2018 to 2020, it is planned to spend 1.34 billion dollars to modernize radar installations and equip devices with new systems. The US Air Force intends to continue operating the Buffs until 2040, when this aircraft will be 100 years old. And he will keep bombing.

Tu-160 "White Swan"

The Soviet counterpart of the American B-52 was essentially the Tu-95 swept-wing turboprop strategic bomber, designed for 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 follower of this aircraft - the Tu-160 "White Swan" (Blackjack - "Blackjack" according to NATO classification). This device 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 compete with the American XB-70 Valkyrie or B-1A models, which were never put into service. As part of the implementation of this task, 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 such devices that can be operated. But they have the potential Russian Ministry Defense plans to resume production of this aircraft.

By appearance The Tu-160 resembles an enlarged American Rockwell B-1 Lancer aircraft. Russian bomber it 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 takeoff weight - 275 tons compared to 216 tons), faster (maximum speed - Mach 2 compared to Mach 1.25), can carry more weapons in the cargo hold (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 Kh-55 cruise missiles (with a conventional and nuclear charge and a range of up to 2.5 thousand kilometers) or 12 Kh-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 air refueling fuel receiver, which is used in rare cases. The maximum flight altitude is 15 thousand meters. Although the aircraft was built without the use of Stealth technology, a number of design features reduce its radar visibility, 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 affected the future fate of the Tu-160.

After the USSR ceased to exist in 1991, Ukraine nationalized all the armed forces located on its territory. At the airfield in Priluki there were 19 "White Swans", which Ukraine appropriated, although most of the pilots and aircraft technicians chose to leave for Russia.

In the 1990s, these aircraft gradually failed due to the lack of the necessary repair and restoration services. Russia and Ukraine were negotiating the possible sale of these aircraft. Ukraine did not need them, but the asking price (about $3 billion) was too high for Moscow. After long wrangling and dismantling of one device under the agreement on nuclear disarmament of Ukraine, the parties came to an agreement: taking into account the cancellation of part of the debt for gas purchases, 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 preparation, in the period from November 1999 to February 2001, the Tu-160s were relocated to the Russian air base near the city of Engels in the Saratov region.

Related Articles

Tu-160 vs B-1. Who will win?

The National Interest 03/30/2016

How Russia intends to confront the United States

The National Interest 05/13/2017

Head of STRATCOM on the rearmament of US nuclear forces

InoSMI 06/26/2017

In the sky over the Baltic - a rare guest

Ilta-Sanomat 17.06.2017
The 121st Guards Sevastopol Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, based at the airfield near Engels, already had six Tu-160s, 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 air crashes and the commissioning of new missile carriers, the Russian Air Force now has 16 Tu-160s (in the Tu-160M ​​modification), although it is believed that only 11 of them are 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 hostilities for the first time, striking with cruise missiles at targets in Syria.

Given the power and potential of these vehicles, it is not surprising that the Russian Ministry of Defense wanted to increase the Tu-160 fleet. There was an idea to resume the production of these aircraft (one device in two or three years) and bring their number to 30 by 2030-2040. The missile carriers will be produced in the Tu-160M2 modification and, according to official figures, will be equipped with new components by 60%, including new power plants, which should increase the Tu-160 flight range by about a thousand kilometers and flight altitude up to 18 thousand meters.

It is planned to integrate the latest high-precision devices into the aircraft's on-board system, which will allow shooters to use "intelligent" ammunition, as well as radar systems and communications of the latest generation. Another important change there will be a replacement of all Ukrainian-made equipment, since now, when relations between Russia and Ukraine have heated up, 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.

The materials of InoSMI contain only assessments of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the editors of InoSMI.

Bombers are special military aircraft, the main purpose of which is to destroy ground, underground, surface and underwater targets using bombs or missiles. In the Russian Air Force today, bomber aviation is represented by Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers, Tu-22M3 long-range bomber and Su-24 and Su-34 front-line bombers, which are tactical aircraft.

It is worth noting that in modern tactical aviation the difference between tactical (front-line) bombers, fighter-bombers and attack aircraft is very blurred. Many combat aircraft designed for air strikes, although similar to fighters, have limited air combat capabilities. It is obvious that those characteristics that allow aircraft to effectively strike from low altitudes are not well suited to an air superiority fighter. At the same time, many modern fighters, despite the fact that they were created for conducting maneuverable air combat, can also be used as bombers. Against this background, the main differences between the bombers continue to be their long range and limited air combat capabilities.

At the moment, in the Air Force of many developed countries the world simply did not have tactical bombers left to replace multi-role fighters (fighter-bombers). For example, in the United States, the last specialized bomber Lockheed F-117 was withdrawn from service on April 22, 2008. Bomber missions in the US Air Force at the tactical level are assigned to the F-15E and F-16 fighter-bombers, and in the Navy to the F / A-18. Against this background, Russia currently stands apart. Our Air Force is armed with two front-line bombers: Su-24 and Su-34. We will talk about them in a little more detail.

Front-line bomber Su-24

Officially, the development of this aircraft was set by a government decree of August 24, 1965. In the Sukhoi Design Bureau, this topic received a working code T-6. In March 1966, the preliminary design and layout of the future front-line bomber were defended, and the working design was completed at the end of the same year. At the same time, two options were initially created, one of them with a variable sweep wing. The development of this model began at the Sukhoi Design Bureau in mid-1967. And the working design of the T-6 with a variable sweep wing was carried out in 1968-1969. The construction of the first two prototypes of the bomber was completed by the autumn of 1969. On January 17, 1970, under the control of test pilot V.S. Ilyushin, the aircraft took to the skies for the first time. State tests of the front-line bomber went on for 4 years: from January 1970 to July 1974. Such a test period was explained by the great complexity and novelty of the tasks that the military had to solve together with the employees of the Sukhoi Design Bureau during the development of the aircraft.

It is worth noting that the T-6 became the first tactical aircraft in the Soviet Union, which could provide all-weather and round-the-clock use. His distinctive feature became a variable sweep wing, which provided the machine with acceptable takeoff and landing characteristics, as well as a high level of flight performance in various flight modes. In terms of design and technology, an important feature of the new bomber was the widespread use of long milled panels in its design. Also, for the first time in domestic practice, on a two-seater aircraft of this class, the layout of pilots next to each other "shoulder to shoulder" was used, as well as new unified ejection seats of the K-36D type, which ensured crew rescue in all speed ranges and bomber flight altitudes, including takeoff and landing evacuation.

By a decree of the Soviet government of February 4, 1975, the T-6 front-line bomber was put into service under the designation Su-24. At the same time, work was assigned to carry out further modernization of the vehicle to expand its combat capabilities. Serial production of the Su-24 was launched in 1971 in cooperation with two aircraft manufacturing plants: the Far Eastern Plant named after Yu. A. Gagarin (Komsomolsk-on-Amur) and the Novosibirsk Plant named after V. P. Chkalov. In Komsomolsk-on-Amur, they were engaged in assembling the tail section of the bomber fuselage, plumage and wing console, and in Novosibirsk - the head and middle parts of the fuselage, together with the center section and the final assembly of the aircraft. E. S. Felsner was the chief designer of the machine in the period from 1965 to 1985, and since 1985, work on the Su-24 at the Sukhoi Design Bureau was headed by L. A. Logvinov.

The Su-24 front-line bomber is a twin-engine high-wing aircraft with a variable sweep wing. Depending on the flight mode, the front parts of the wing (console) can be set to one of four positions: 16 ° - during takeoff and landing, 35 ° - during cruising at subsonic speed, 45 ° - during combat maneuvering, 69 ° - during flight at transonic or supersonic speeds. Semi-monocoque aircraft fuselage, retractable tricycle landing gear, double cockpit (pilot and navigator), double control.

The aircraft was used in the combat operations of the USSR Air Force and the Russian Air Force. In the Afghan war of 1979-1989, front-line bombers were used to a limited extent. These machines were involved in combat work only during the Panjshir operation in 1984 and covering the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan in 1988-1989. At the same time, these aircraft were never based on the territory of Afghanistan, flying from Soviet air bases located in Central Asia, there were no combat losses among these aircraft. The aircraft was most intensively used in both Chechen wars. In total, three Su-24 front-line bombers were shot down or crashed in the North Caucasus, and three more aircraft burned down at the airfield in preparation for a sortie. In August 2008, during the war in South Ossetia, two more Su-24 front-line bombers were lost, while both losses were not officially recognized, but are confirmed by the pilots themselves. The first plane was shot down on August 9, 2008, pilot Igor Zinov was captured (released on August 19), navigator Igor Rzhavitin died (posthumously Hero of Russia). In 2012, four years after the war, Vladimir Bogodukhov, Lieutenant Colonel of the Russian Air Force, who received the title of Hero of Russia, in an interview with Arguments and Facts, said that his Su-24 was shot down on August 11, 2008, and also mentioned the fact of the loss of Zinov's plane.

Despite its advantages, the Su-24 aircraft was considered to be a rather difficult aircraft to pilot and had a high accident rate. Only in the process of flight tests, 14 Su-24 and Su-24M aircraft were lost, 13 test pilots and navigators died. After the bomber was put into service, every year there were up to 5-6 accidents and disasters involving this aircraft. Speaking in the State Duma in 1998, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force Viktor Kot called the Su-24 aircraft the most emergency aircraft in the national air force.

The total serial production of front-line bombers and reconnaissance aircraft of the Su-24 type amounted to about 1,400 aircraft. Currently, the aircraft is still in service with the Russian Air Force, as well as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine. Since 1999, the Sukhoi Design Bureau, together with representatives of the Russian Air Force, has been implementing a program to modernize combatant aircraft. As of 2012, the Russian Air Force was armed with 124 Su-24 aircraft. As new Su-34 and Su-24 front-line bombers enter combat units, they are being withdrawn from service and should be completely withdrawn from the Russian Air Force by 2020; the aircraft were removed from service with the Belarusian Air Force in February 2012.

Flight performance of the Su-24:
Overall dimensions: variable sweep wing span - 17.64 m (10.37 m), wing area 55.16 m2 (51 m2), length - 24.53 m, height - 6.19 m.
Takeoff weight: normal - 38,040 kg, maximum - 43,755 kg.
The power plant is 2 turbofan engines AL-21F-3A, afterburner thrust 2x11200 kgf.
Maximum speed - 1600 km / h (M = 1.35M).
Practical ceiling - 11,000 m.
Ferry range: 2775 km with 2xPTB-3000.
The combat radius of action is 600 km.
The maximum operational overload is 6g.
Crew - 2 people.
Armament: one 23-mm six-barrel gun GSh-6-23M (ammunition 500 rounds), combat load 8000 kg (normal 3000 kg) on ​​8 hardpoints.

Front-line bomber Su-34

The Su-34 front-line bomber should form the basis of the strike power of the Russian front-line aviation, it is able to use the entire range of high-precision air-to-surface weapons. This aircraft is a worthy replacement for the round-the-clock Su-24M front-line bomber. Currently, the development and serial production of the Su-34 bomber is among the priority programs for the Sukhoi company, the official website of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) informs us. It's hard to disagree with this today. Back in August 2008, during the armed conflict in South Ossetia, the Russian Air Force used only two such aircraft, and as of May 29, 2015, 69 such aircraft are already in service. Only in the air part of the military parade in Moscow on May 9, 2015, 14 Su-34 front-line bombers took part, and their total number in the Russian Air Force is planned to be increased to 150-200 units.

Work on the creation of the T-10V aircraft began in the Soviet Union on June 19, 1986. The first flight of the prototype Su-34 (Su-27IB "fighter-bomber") - T-10V-1 made April 13, 1990. The plane was piloted by the honored test pilot of the USSR Ivanov A. A. The T-10V-1 aircraft was the result of a deep modernization of the well-known Su-27 fighter. The machine was created to replace the Su-24 and was intended primarily for the destruction of ground and surface targets, including mobile and stealthy, both in the tactical and operational depth of the enemy’s defense, at any time of the day and under any weather conditions.

The aircraft, created by domestic designers, is designed to deliver missile and bomb strikes against ground and surface targets, and can also hit enemy air targets. The chief designer of the aircraft is Rollan Matrirosov. The Su-34 prototype made its first flight on April 13, 1990. However, the path from the first flight to the adoption of the machine into service was very long. State tests of the new front-line bomber ended only in November 2010. On March 20, 2014, the aircraft was officially adopted by the Russian Air Force by the decision of the Russian government. At the same time, the aircraft has been mass-produced since 2006. Novosibirsk is engaged in its release. aircraft factory named after V.P. Chkalov, which is part of the Sukhoi holding. The deliveries of the aircraft to the troops are carried out within the framework of contracts concluded in 2008 (32 aircraft) and 2012 (92 aircraft) with the Ministry of Defense. Starting from 2015, it is planned to collect 18-20 aircraft data per year. In 2014, 18 such front-line bombers were manufactured in Russia (according to the plan, there should have been 16).

Compared to the Su-27 fighter, the Su-34 bomber retained almost no changes in the shape of the cantilever parts of the wing and tail, but the fuselage wing fins were extended to the forward fuselage, which has an ellipsoidal section. The nose of the aircraft was lengthened due to the installation of a radar antenna there. The nose cone of a front-line bomber has a flattened shape with developed side bulges and pointed edges. Inside this fairing is a radar with a small antenna. The aircraft has no ventral ridges.

The cockpit has become double, closed and airtight. It was made in the form of a welded titanium armored capsule with a wall thickness of up to 17 mm (for the first time in the world on aircraft of this class), the cockpit glazing is also armored. When creating the aircraft, the designers took into account the experience of using combat aviation at low altitudes. The cockpit is equipped with an air conditioning and heating system. The workplaces of the crew members are placed side by side "shoulder to shoulder", which significantly reduces their fatigue and improves interaction in flight. On the left is the place of the pilot, on the right - the navigator-operator. The cabin is comfortable and spacious. When making a long flight, it is possible to stand behind the chairs at full height or sleep in the aisle between the seats. There is a microwave oven for hot meals for the crew and a bathroom. The entrance to the cabin is made through the nose niche of the chassis with the help of a folding ladder.

According to its combat capabilities, the Su-34 belongs to the 4+ generation aircraft. The presence of an active safety system on a front-line bomber, along with the use of the latest computers, made it possible to create additional features for the pilot and navigator for targeted bombing, maneuvering under enemy fire. Excellent aerodynamic characteristics, large capacity of internal fuel tanks, the presence of an in-flight refueling system, highly efficient bypass turbojet engines, as well as the possibility of installing additional fuel tanks, along with a comfortable cockpit implemented in practice, provide the possibility of a non-stop flight of a bomber lasting up to 10 hours without loss of pilot efficiency. The digital avionics of the Su-34 was built on the principle of an open architecture, which makes it possible to quickly replace components and systems with newly created ones.

The Su-34 front-line bomber is distinguished by high maneuverability and flight performance, long-range sighting systems, modern onboard system information exchange and communication with ground control points, ground forces and surface ships, as well as aircraft. The aircraft is different in that it can use everything modern systems highly effective long-range air-to-surface and air-to-air guided weapons with multi-channel application. In addition to passive safety, the machine was equipped with a highly intelligent radar countermeasures and defense system. The plane is different developed system combat survivability, including an armored cockpit. Currently, planned work is underway to build up the combat potential of the Su-34 by including new aviation weapons in its armament.

The Su-34 aircraft managed to take part in the hostilities. In 2008, two front-line bombers were used during the war in South Ossetia. The vehicles were used to cover the actions of Russian attack aircraft, conducting electronic warfare against Georgian air defense elements. To suppress enemy radio-electronic means (RES) of the enemy, Su-34 aircraft put interference from combat formations. The most dangerous RES of the S-125 and Buk complexes were attacked by aircraft with anti-radar missiles. During combat use in August 2008 they destroyed a key Georgian 36D6-M radar located near the village of Shavshvebi near Gori.

Flight performance characteristics of the Su-34:
Overall dimensions: wingspan - 14.7 m, wing area - 62 m2, length - 22 m, height - 5.93 m.
Takeoff weight: normal - 39,000 kg, maximum - 44,360 kg.
The power plant is 2 turbofan engines AL-31F, afterburner thrust 2x13500 kgf.
Maximum speed - 1900 km / h (M = 1.6M).
The practical flight range is 4500 km.
Practical ceiling - 17,000 m.
Combat radius of action - 1100 km.
The maximum operational overload is 9g.
Crew - 2 people (pilot and navigator-operator).
Armament: one 30-mm cannon GSh-301 (ammunition 180 rounds), combat load 8000 kg (normal 4000 kg) on ​​12 hardpoints, KREP: Khibiny electronic countermeasures complex (product L-175V).

Information sources:
http://www.uacrussia.ru
http://www.sukhoi.org
http://www.airwar.ru
http://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/2051410
Materials from open sources