strategic bombers. The most formidable Russian bombers

Only two countries in the world, the US and Russia, have Armed Forces such an elite branch of the Air Force as Strategic or Long-Range Aviation. Together with submarine missile carriers and intercontinental ballistic missiles, long-range aviation aircraft are part of the nuclear triad and are responsible for the security of the state in the air.
strategic bomber- a military aircraft designed to bombard strategically important objects behind enemy lines in order to undermine its military and industrial power. Unlike front-line bombers, designed to destroy equipment and personnel directly on the battlefield, strategic bombers designed to destroy factories, power plants, roads, bridges, dams, important objects Agriculture, military installations and entire cities. At the moment, only Russia and the United States have these types of aircraft.
It should be noted that bomber is called strategic, only when it has an intercontinental range and is capable of using nuclear weapons. For example, aircraft such as the Tu-22M, Tu-16 and B-47 are capable of using nuclear weapons, but do not have an intercontinental flight range, and therefore are considered as long-range bombers.

However, due to the uncertainty of the criteria on the one hand, and the political situation on the other, some countries may call their long-range, tactical and operational strategic bombers (Xian H-6A - Chinese Air Force, Vickers 667 Valiant - British Air Force, Mirage 2000N - French Air Force, FB-111 - US Air Force).

Background

Strategic aviation, in the full sense of the term, began to develop actively in the early years cold war. Nevertheless, the B-29 of the US Air Force during the Second World War is often referred to as a strategic bomber.
During the Second World War, projects of truly intercontinental bombers began to appear. In Germany and Japan, there were plans to use such bombers for raids on the United States from Europe and Asia, respectively. In the United States, in turn, a project was being developed for an intercontinental bomber for raids on Germany in the event of the fall of England - as a result further development of this project, in the second half of the 1940s, mass production of the first "real" B-36 strategic bomber began. However, the B-36, being a piston aircraft, soon became quite vulnerable to rapidly improving jet fighters, despite its very high (for those years) flight altitude. Nevertheless, for a number of years, B-36s formed the basis of strategic nuclear forces USA.

Further, the development of this type of weapons went at a rapid pace. After some time, strategic bombers, equipped, as a rule, with nuclear weapons, were constantly on combat duty, providing conditions for mutually assured destruction in the event of an armed conflict. The main requirement for a strategic bomber, which aircraft designers sought to fulfill, was the ability of the aircraft to deliver nuclear weapons to the territory of a potential enemy and return back. The main such aircraft during the Cold War were the American B-52 and the Soviet Tu-95.

With the development of new technologies, strategic bombers received supersonic speed and the ability to fly at extremely low altitudes (B-1, Tu-160), and in some cases reduced radar visibility (B-2). This set of characteristics increases the likelihood of successful penetration into foreign protected airspace.

However, the high cost of creating and maintaining aircraft of this type, as well as their low efficiency in low-intensity conflicts, makes it impossible to quickly replace the fleet, and some types of aircraft remain in service for several decades (B-52 and Tu-95) . However, the moral and technical aging of machines of this type makes it necessary to replace them. Thus, a program was launched in the United States to develop a new bomber to replace the B-52 (after 2030, when previously aircraft of this type would have to be removed from combat duty). In Russia, it is planned to replace the Tu-95 with modernized Tu-160 after 2015.

As a rule, strategic bombers were developed directly for the delivery of nuclear weapons. But they were sometimes used in local wars. In particular, Tu-16, Tu-22 and Tu-22M were used to a limited extent in the Afghan war, B-52 - in Vietnam and Iraq, B-2 - in Yugoslavia and Iraq.

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

Carrier killer

Further supersonic bomber with a variable sweep of the Tu-22 wing is designed to destroy aircraft carriers: pinpoint or massive, that is, together with escort ships.

To do this, the Tu-22 is capable of carrying up to three Kh-22 Burya cruise missiles. Missiles are also supersonic, long range. They fly at speeds up to five thousand kilometers per hour, deliver thermonuclear warheads with a capacity of megatons each. In principle, one "Storm" is enough to destroy any aircraft carrier order, but in aviation they are used to doing everything with a margin.

When used over land, the bomber carries four X-15 hypersonic missiles to destroy important stationary targets with known coordinates in advance. The X-15 flies along a ballistic trajectory: it climbs to a height of up to 40 kilometers, and then dives at a target at a speed of over five thousand kilometers per hour. The basic warhead of the rocket is nuclear, with a capacity of up to 300 kilotons. There is a variety for destroying air defense system radars, it is guided by target radiation.

Now the Russian Air Force is armed with Tu-22M3. This is the third generation of the bomber developed half a century ago: from the first models, only the front landing gear and partially the cargo compartment, in which the rocket is semi-recessed into the fuselage, have been preserved. Tu-22 of the latest series have an airborne defensive complex with radio interference stations and shooting traps. Until 2020, it is planned to equip 30 bombers with new on-board electronics adapted for the use of high-precision Kh-32 missiles.

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

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

A russian bear"

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

On a bomber, Russian pilots mastered in-flight refueling, the Tu-95 delivered all nuclear and thermonuclear devices to the test site, including the Tsar bomb with a capacity of 60 megatons. The 27-ton bomb did not fit in the cargo compartment, so the bomb bay doors and ammunition were removed on New Earth flew halfway out of the fuselage.

During the explosion, the carrier aircraft was at a distance of 45 kilometers. The electromagnetic pulse stopped all four engines. The Tu-95 fell and started the engines: the first at seven thousand meters, the second at five ... The bomber sat down with three running engines. On the ground, during the inspection, it turned out that the fourth engine was badly burned and could not start in principle.

During the Caribbean crisis, Tu-95s, replacing each other, patrolled over Svalbard - at a distance of launching an X-20 missile with a thermonuclear warhead with a capacity of three megatons. Now the main armament of the Tu-95 are six Kh-55 cruise missiles, placed on a drum launcher in the cargo compartment. Another 10 missiles the aircraft is capable of carrying under the wings. Aircraft are being re-equipped with the new X-101 missile, which hits moving targets with an accuracy of two meters. At a distance of 10 thousand kilometers, the deviation of the missile from the target does not exceed 10 meters.

a swan song

The flagship of the Long-Range Aviation of Russia is the Tu-160 supersonic missile carrier. This is the largest supersonic aircraft in history. military aviation and the heaviest bomber with a takeoff weight of 275 tons. It is also unmatched among variable-sweep wing aircraft. For color and silhouette, Russian pilots romantically call the Tu-160 "White Swan". The unromantic NATO members called it Blackjack (baton).

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

The bomber also carries bombs as a "weapon of the second stage" - to finish off the survivors after a missile attack. The total payload weight is 45 tons. The Tu-160 is capable of flying 14 thousand kilometers without refueling at a speed of 2230 kilometers per hour. Most of the aircraft in service have their own names in honor of prominent pilots and aircraft designers.

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

flying tanker

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

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

For this, the IL-78 produces 26 meters of hose with an openwork half-meter cone at the end. The wingman pilot must equalize speeds and hit the cone with the receiver bar. This operation requires precision and high skill of both crews.

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-seat 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 ranges of speeds and altitudes of the bomber flight, 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. The 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 along 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 aircraft.

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 country's 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, a 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 pilots' 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).

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

MOSCOW. October 22 - RIA Novosti, Andrey Stanavov. The sweeping inscription "For ours!" on the cast-iron side of the bomb, prepared for the Syrian militants, there is a short wave of the signalman - and the 130-ton "carcass" gently taxis to take off to the whistle of the turbines. Something similar already happened. Field airfield in 1945, Tu-2 front-line bombers and inscriptions "In Berlin!" on "fugaskas" suspended under the wings. The oldest Russian Design Bureau named after Andrey Tupolev turns 95 on Sunday. Within its walls, dozens of types of military and civilian aircraft, many of which have become world legends. RIA Novosti publishes a selection of the best attack aircraft of an outstanding aircraft designer.

Dive Favorite

Tu-2 front-line bomber Andrey Tupolev designed in the famous "sharashki" of the NKVD, he made his first flight in 1941, after the start of the Great Patriotic War. And although outwardly the twin-engine machine looked great like the Pe-2, which was then in service, it surpassed it in power, speed and other parameters. In terms of range, the Pe-2 was inferior to the "carcass" by almost two times, in terms of bomb load - by three.

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

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

In total, about three thousand bombers were manufactured. An extremely successful piston machine has risen to the appearance of the first generation of its jet descendants that have come to replace it. According to experts, the unique flight performance, ease of production and high combat survivability allow us to consider the Tu-2 the best front-line bomber of World War II. For the development of this aircraft, Andrei Tupolev was awarded the rank of Major General of the Aviation Engineering Service.

First long-range jet

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

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

Three plants built more than 1,500 bombers, missile carriers, torpedo-bombers, reconnaissance aircraft, and electronic countermeasures aircraft in ten years. In total, more than 50 modifications were created. Born at the dawn of the USSR nuclear program, Tu-16 became the main "test" of the latest weapons. It was from this aircraft that the first Soviet thermonuclear bomb RDS-37D was dropped in 1955.

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

Bear Power

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

On the basis of the "ninety-fifth", many machines for various purposes were built. These are bombers, missile carriers, reconnaissance and target designation aircraft for the Navy, and strategic reconnaissance aircraft. Created in the late 60s, the Tu-142 anti-submarine defense aircraft is still in service with the Navy.

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

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

Racing with sound

By the end of the 1950s, the well-deserved Tu-16 replaced the Tu-22 supersonic bomber, which, by the very fact of its appearance, "broke" the patterns of the world aircraft industry. Almost everything was unusual in it - the location of the engines, the large swept wing, the "squeezed" layout of systems and equipment.

The plane was brought to perfection for a long time and with difficulty, but it was thanks to it that the pilots of the Long-Range Aviation and the USSR Navy got the opportunity to fly one and a half times faster than the speed of sound. During the years of mass production, 300 aircraft were sent to the air bases in the variants of a bomber, missile carrier, reconnaissance bomber, REP aircraft and training aircraft.

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

Carrier killer

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

The supersonic multi-mode strike complex incorporated all the scientific and technological achievements in aircraft construction and was the first of its brethren to learn to "tighten its wings". Variable sweep and powerful economical bypass engines gave the missile carrier fantastic capabilities, making it a threat to the ship groups of a potential enemy.

The machine at maximum load carries 24 tons of ammunition, accelerates to 2300 km / h and can operate at a distance of thousands of kilometers from the airfield. These aircraft are armed with X-22M guided supersonic missiles of various modifications, capable of hitting sea and ground targets at ranges up to 480 kilometers.

This air base is located near the city of Engels in the Saratov region. It is home to ours. At the moment, only Russia and the United States have these types of aircraft, capable of operating at great distances and using nuclear weapons.

2. Strategic missile carrier - Tu-95MS. Tu-95 (product "B", according to NATO codification: Bear - "Bear") is a Soviet and Russian turboprop strategic bomber-missile carrier, one of the fastest propeller-driven aircraft, which has become one of the symbols of the Cold War. Clickable:

3. November 12, 1952, the prototype 95-1 took to the air. Ahead was a difficult test path to the sky. Alas, during the 17th test flight, the prototype crashed and 4 out of 11 people on board died. But this did not stop the tests, and soon the aircraft was put into service. Clickable:

4. Tu-95MS - a carrier of Kh-55 cruise missiles with a nuclear warhead. It was created on the basis of the Tu-142MK - a long-range anti-submarine aircraft. Clickable:

5. In continuation of the traditions started in domestic aviation in the late 20s - early 30s of the XX century, some aircraft are assigned their own names. Tu-160 is named after the Heroes Soviet Union and people directly associated with long-range aviation, Tu-95MS - in honor of the cities. Clickable:

6. But the most interesting thing is flying. Clickable:

7. Standing on the edge of the runway and watching the Tu-95 and Tu-160 take off and land past you was endless. Clickable:

8. From the rumble and vibration of the screws it makes its way. There is a kind of childish delight from what is happening. Alas, photography cannot convey this.

On July 30, 2010, a world record for non-stop flight for aircraft of this class was set, while during this time the bombers flew about 30 thousand kilometers over three oceans, refueling four times in the air. Clickable:

9. Mi-26T suddenly flew in. There was confusion when applying the numbers, and another Mi-26T with tail number 99 flew for several months with registration RF-93132. Clickable:

10. We are going to the aircraft stands. About the 95th stands APA-100 - an airfield mobile electrical unit. Clickable:

11. Then we climb into the Bear's cabin. I take pictures right now workplace, which is located near the entrance and which is stuffed with all sorts of interesting equipment. The escort climbs in next and looks reproachfully at me: “Alexander, what is it? That’s why you immediately shoot exactly what you can’t shoot.” I delete frames and find out that you can shoot anything, except for that very workplace. In the photo - the flight engineer's console.

12. Dashboard FAC.

13. In general, of course, the interior decoration is severe in a military way. However, domestic design bureaus never bothered with the ergonomics of the cabin.

And this strange floor between the chairs is a rubber sheet with wooden slats. Believe it or not, this is a means of an emergency escape from an airplane.

14. Tu-160 is a supersonic strategic missile-carrying bomber with a variable sweep wing, developed at the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 1980s. Clickable:

15. The Russian Air Force has 16 Tu-160 aircraft. Clickable:

16. Il-78M taxis for takeoff. In the chair of the PIC is the commander of the air base, Colonel Dmitry Leonidovich Kostyunin. Clickable:

17. This tanker can deliver 105.7 tons of fuel in flight. Clickable:

18. The Tu-160 is the largest supersonic and variable wing aircraft in the history of military aviation, as well as the heaviest combat aircraft in the world, with the largest maximum takeoff weight. Among the pilots he received the nickname "White Swan". Clickable:

19. Bears are driving for takeoff - flights have begun. Clickable:

20. The program includes flights along the route and refueling from a tanker. Training refueling is dry and wet. During the first, the crew only docks with the tanker, and during the second, a couple of tons of fuel are transferred. During a training flight, several approaches can be carried out. Clickable:

21. From the hum of NK-12, it penetrates to the spleen. They say that American submariners, being at depth, hear the Bear flying over them. Clickable:

22. Finally! Tu-160 takes off. Ah, what a handsome man. Clickable:

23. Two intra-fuselage compartments can accommodate up to 40 tons of weapons, including several types of guided missiles, guided and free-fall bombs and other means of destruction, both in nuclear and conventional weapons. Maximum takeoff weight- 275 tons. Clickable:

24. The X-55 strategic cruise missiles in service with the Tu-160 (12 units on two revolver-type multi-position launchers) are designed to hit stationary targets with predetermined coordinates, which are entered into the missile's memory before the bomber takes off. Anti-ship missile variants have a radar homing system. Clickable:

25. Landing. Very nice plane... Clickable:

26. Technicians meet the crew after the flight.

27. Inspection of the NK-32 engines after the flight. Check out its diameter. This engine is one of the largest and most powerful aircraft engines in the world. Thrust - 14000 kgf, afterburner - 25000.

28. Preparation for departure. Clickable:

29. The plane is refueled and prepared for the next flight. Clickable:

30. The tanker returned. Clickable:

31. Bears return to the den. Clickable:

32. The NK-12 engine installed on the Tu-95 is still the most powerful turboprop engine in the world. By the way, no one is trying to create more powerful. Just don't. Clickable:

33. Now flights are carried out 2-3 times a week, unlike the dull 90s, when they flew on major holidays. Clickable:

35. This time, the refueling of the Tu-160 and Tu-95MS from the Il-78 tanker was practiced. And some of the aircraft went on a long flight over the territory of Russia.

37. Night flights began. The workouts don't stop!