Many times have heard about the tank power of Russia. Oddly enough, bombers are mentioned much less frequently. But do not neglect aviation, as well as the fleet. This is a very important component that allows you to control the airspace of the state, protecting it or attacking the enemy from the air. In this article, we will talk about strategic bombers and fighter jets of Russia in service.
Strategic bomber
Before proceeding directly to the topic, I would like to talk about which technique belongs to the strategic class, because it is it that has the greatest value for modern aviation. So, a strategic combat aircraft is designed to deliver nuclear strikes by dropping bombs or missiles at strategically important enemy targets. At the same time, strategic and tactical military equipment should not be confused. The latter is used to destroy enemy equipment and manpower. It is worth noting that at present, only two countries are armed with strategic bombers, these are Russia and the USA. Well, now we turn to the consideration of specific models.
Tu-160, or Blackjack
All aircraft receive NATO classification and name. In this case, it is Blackjack. At the same time, the factory designation is “Object 70”. Such Russian bombers belong to the strategic class with a variable sweep wing. This unit was developed at the Tupolev Academy in the 1970s and is still in use.
Today it is the largest and most powerful aircraft of this class, with variable wing geometry and maximum take-off weight. Pilots often call the Tu-160 "white swan." We can say that during the development of the bomber put forward strict requirements that needed to be fulfilled. For example, the total mass of the combat load was to be at least 45 tons, and the flight range was not less than 10-15 thousand kilometers. Since all the requirements were met, more than 25 copies were mass-produced, and there were about 8 prototypes.
Briefly about the technical characteristics of the Tu-160
As noted a little above, the aircraft has a variable sweep wing. The minimum range is 57.7 meters. The most interesting detail is the power plant, which consists of 4 NK-32 engines. Each motor is a three-shaft 2-circuit with offset flow at the output. As for the fuel system, it is designed for 171,000 liters of aviation fuel (nitrided). At the same time, for each engine there is a separate tank, but part of the fuel is allocated for centering. Possible refueling in the air.
As for weapons, the Tu-160 are Russian bombers that have destructive power. Initially, the unit was developed exclusively as a carrier of long-range cruise missiles. But in the future, it was decided to slightly expand the range of ammunition. Currently, they are trying to add high-precision long-range cruise missiles of the x-555 and x-101 types.
Russian long-range bombers: Tu-95MS
This unit has received the classification of NATO Bear, which means “Bear”. This is a turboprop strategic bomber. It is worth noting that the Tu-95 has become a real symbol of the Cold War, which is why it was decided to deeply modify and create a more efficient and powerful Tu-95MS. It is worth noting that the bomber is the last adopted in the world, therefore, and the newest, which is important. This aircraft has survived just a huge number of modifications. The latter was the possibility of hitting important enemy targets with cruise missiles in all weather conditions and at any time of the day. That Tu-95MS set a record of non-stop flight. For 43 hours, a pair of bombers flew about 30 thousand kilometers, with four refueling in the air.
On the armament of the Tu-95MS
The new Russian bomber Tu-95MS has a total bomb load of about 12 tons. The fuselage bomb bay suggests the possibility of deploying 9,000 kilogram free-fall bombs. In addition, the Tu-95MS is equipped with x-20 cruise missiles. They are mainly designed to defeat the enemy’s radio contrast targets at a distance of 300 to 600 kilometers.
It is worth noting that many experts say that it is Tu-95MS that is the key, that is, the main part of Russian aviation. The aircraft is equipped with x-55 cruise missiles. Moreover, in various modifications of the missile carrier, 5 to 10 such missiles are located. In some cases, a device for the free discharge of a nuclear bomb is dismantled, due to its uselessness. On board there is a defensive armament, which consists of 23 mm aircraft guns. Their number varies depending on the modification and can be from 3 to 8 pieces.
New strategic bomber of Russia Tu-22M
“Backflash,” according to NATO's classification, or “Product 45,” is the factory name. It is a supersonic long-range missile bomber with adjustable wing geometry. T-22M - the latest modification of the Tu-22 - is not much different from the Tu-22K. Many say that this was the result of political manipulation. So, the development of the Tu-22M was started only to save money. Nevertheless, the decision was not the worst, the aircraft is still in service with Russia and shows good results.
Today there are many modifications of Tu-22M, such as Tu-22M0, Tu-22M1 and Tu-22M2 and M3. But, despite this, all Russian bombers of this class differ slightly from each other, which is why it is customary to talk about the Tu-22M. Although it is impossible not to say that all the modifications made did not improve the technical characteristics of the unit. For example, the mass of the Tu-22M1 was reduced by 3 tons, due to which it was possible to improve aerodynamic characteristics. And the Tu-22M2 was able to equip with more powerful long-range cruise missiles.
A bit about weapons
Any promising Russian bomber should have on board effective defensive weapons and powerful nuclear missiles that would hit strategically important enemy targets. All this was in the Tu-22M3, the latest modification of the Tu-22M. The total bomb load is 24 tons. At the same time, anti-ship missiles, free-falling nuclear bombs, mines and a pair of x-22 cruise missiles can be on board. The key feature is the presence on board of the so-called SURO (missile weapon control system), which provides for the presence of 4 aeroballistic missiles.
As for defense, there is provided a remotely controlled stern cannon mount with an increased rate of fire (up to 4 thousand rounds per minute) and a shortened barrel unit. Aiming is carried out using the Krypton system, and firing can be transferred to automatic mode.
Conclusion
We examined the main bombers of Russia. You can view photos of these machines in this article. It is worth noting that all the equipment is in service with the Russian Federation. Many of the above aircraft are deployed in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and other countries of the former Soviet Union. Currently, many military bases have long been disbanded and abandoned, and everything that remains there is commonly called the “airplane cemetery”. In addition, as noted above, only the United States and Russia have missile-carrying bombers, but this is according to official figures. In principle, this is all that can be said about the main heavy aviation equipment, which is used and will not be written off in the coming years. Many projects are currently under development, but detailed information on this subject has not been disclosed. And it makes no sense to say that has not yet flown up into the sky.