The Tupolev Tu-22M (NATO reporting name 'Backfire') is a supersonic, swing-wing, long-range strategic bomber developed by the Soviet Union. Significant numbers remain in service with various CIS member states. Tupolev (Russian: Туполев) is a Russian aerospace and defence company. ... NATO reporting names were code names for Soviet and Chinese military equipment. ... It has been suggested that hypersonic be merged into this article or section. ... A swing-wing is a wing configuration that allows it to alter its planform for various flight conditions. ... A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... Headquarters Minsk, Belarus Member states 11 member states 1 associate member Working language Russian Executive Secretary Vladimir Rushailo Formation December 21, 1991 Official website http://cis. ...

Tu-22M at Monino AF Museum

Tu-22M at Monino This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder. ... Tu-22M at Monino This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder. ...

Development

The Tu-22 'Blinder' had not proved particularly successful, in some respects being inferior to the earlier Tu-16 'Badger'. Its range and take-off performance, in particular, were definite weak points. Even as the 'Blinder' was entering service, OKB Tupolev began work on an improved successor. The Tupolev Tu-22 (NATO reporting name Blinder) is a Soviet jet supersonic bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. ... Tupolev Tu-16 3-view The Tupolev Tu-16 (NATO codename: Badger) was a twin-engine jet bomber used by the Soviet Union. ...

As with the contemporary Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 'Flogger' and Sukhoi Su-17 'Fitter' projects, the advantages of variable-geometry wings seemed attractive, allowing a combination of short take-off performance, efficient cruising, and good high-speed, low-level ride. The result was a new swing-wing aircraft called Samolet 145, derived from the Tu-22, with some features borrowed from the abortive Tu-98 'Backfin'. Mikoyan, Mikoyan-Gurevich, or MiG (Russian: Микоян, Микоян-Гуревич or МиГ) is a Russian military aircraft manufacturer. ... now. ... Sukhoi (Сухой) is a major Russian military fighter aircraft manufacturer. ... Polish decomissioned Su-20 Front view of Su-20 Polish Su-22 Two aircraft share the designation Su-17 The Sukhoi Su-17 (NATO reporting name Fitter) was a Soviet attack aircraft developed from the Su-7 fighter-bomber. ... A swing-wing is a wing configuration that allows it to alter its planform for various flight conditions. ... The Tupolev Tu-98 (NATO reporting name Backfin) was a prototype swept wing jet bomber developed for the Soviet Union. ...

The first prototype, Tu-22M0, first flew 30 August 1969. The resultant aircraft was first seen by NATO around that time. For several years it was believed in the West that its service designation was Tu-26. During the SALT negotiations of the 1980s the Soviets insisted it was the Tu-22M. At the time, Western authorities suspected that the misleading designation was intended to suggest that it was simply a derivative of the Tu-22 rather than the far more advanced and capable weapon it actually was. It now appears that Tu-22M was indeed the correct designation, and the linkage to the earlier Tu-22 was intended by Tupolev to convince the Soviet government that it was an economical follow-on to the earlier aircraft. Actually, the fore gear leg and the bomb bay cover were inherited from the original Tu-22. (Much the same happened in the U.S. in the 1950s with aircraft like the Lockheed F-94C Starfire, originally F-97, and the North American F-86D Sabre, originally the F-95.) August 30 is the 242nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (243rd in leap years), with 123 days remaining. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from Canadian Snowbirds aerobatic team is formed. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation[1] (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on 4 April 1949. ... A magnified crystal of a salt (halite/sodium chloride) In chemistry, a salt is any ionic compound composed of positively charged cations and negatively charged anions so that the product is neutral and without a net charge. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... The 1950s was the decade spanning the years 1950 to 1959. ... F-94C being armed with 2. ... The North American F-86 Sabre was a subsonic combat aircraft developed for the US Air Force. ...

Only nine of the earliest Tu-22M0 preproduction aircraft were produced, followed by nine more Tu-22M1 pilot-production craft in 1971 and 1972. They were known as Backfire-A' by NATO. This is a list of aviation-related events from 1971: Events January January 6 - the US Marine Corps takes delivery of its first AV-8 Harriers January 22 - a US Navy P-3 Orion sets a distance record of 7,010 miles (11,282 km) for an aircraft in its... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1972: Events January January 5 - US President Richard Nixon announces $US 5. ...

The first major production version, entering production 1972, was the Tu-22M2 ('Backfire-B'), with longer wings and an extensively redesigned, area ruled fuselage (raising the crew complement to four), twin NK-22 engines with F-4 Phantom II-style intakes, and new undercarriage carrying the landing gear in the wing glove rather than in large pods. These were most commonly armed with long-range cruise missiles/anti-ship missiles, typically one or two AS-4 'Kitchen' anti-shipping missiles. Some Tu-22M2s were later requipped with more powerful NK-23 engines and redesignated Tu-22M2Ye. In service, the Tu-22M2 was known to its crews as Dvoika ('Deuce'). It was more popular than the Tu-22, thanks to its superior performance and improved cockpit, but its comfort and reliability still left much to be desired. This is a list of aviation-related events from 1972: Events January January 5 - US President Richard Nixon announces $US 5. ... Junkers patent drawing from March 1944. ... The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II[2] was a two-seat supersonic long-range all-weather fighter-bomber produced for the United States military by McDonnell Douglas. ... Main and nosewheel undercarriage of a Qatar Airways Airbus A330 The undercarriage or landing gear is equipment which supports an aircraft when it is not flying. ... A Tomahawk cruise missile A cruise missile is a guided missile which uses a lifting wing and most often a jet propulsion system to allow sustained flight. ... RBS-15 missile launched from a Sisu missile carriage. ... Kh-22 under Tu-22M3 The Raduga Kh-22 (NATO reporting name AS-4 Kitchen) is a large, long-range anti-ship missile developed by the Soviet Union. ... An Anti-ship missile (AShM) is a military missile designed for use against naval surface ships. ...

Tu-22M3

The later Tu-22M3 (NATO 'Backfire C'), which first flew in 1976 and entered service in 1983, had new NK-25 engines with substantially more power, wedge-shaped intakes similar to the MiG-25, wings with greater maximum sweep, and a recontoured nose housing a new Leninets PN-AD radar and NK-45 nav/attack system, which provides much-improved low-altitude flight (although not true nap-of-the-earth flying). It had a revised tail turret with a single cannon, and provision for an internal rotary launcher for the AS-16 'Kickback' missile, similar to the American AGM-69 SRAM. The new aircraft had much better performance than the -M2. It was nicknamed Troika ('Trio') by its crews, although apparently it is sometimes referred to as 'Backfire' in Russian service. Image File history File links Tupolev_Tu-22M3. ... Image File history File links Tupolev_Tu-22M3. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1976: Events March March 17 - a Japan Air Lines Boeing 747 makes the first non-stop flight from Tokyo to New York, taking 11. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1983: Events January January 31 - the Ayres Turbo Thrush NEEDS cropduster plane officially joins the United States war on drugs. February February 1 - Boeing announces it will stop producing Boeing 727 airliners. ... MiG 25 Foxbat The MiG-25 (NATO reporting name Foxbat) is a high-speed interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft produced by the Soviet Unions Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau. ... This long range RADAR antenna, known as ALTAIR, is used to detect and track space objects in conjunction with ABM testing at the Ronald Reagan Test Site on the Kwajalein atoll[1]. RADAR is a system that uses radio waves to detect, determine the direction and distance and/or speed... Nap-of-the-earth (NOE) is flying with electronic assistance to remain very close to the ground during the course of a flight, also known as ground-hugging. ... The Raduga Kh-15 (NATO reporting name AS-16 Kickback) is Soviet/CIS short-range nuclear missile carried by bomber aircraft. ... The Boeing AGM-69 SRAM (Short-range attack missile) was a nuclear air-to-surface missile designed to replace the older AGM-28 Hound Dog stand-off missile. ...

One area of controversy surrounding the Tu-22M is its capacity for aerial refueling. As built, the Tu-22M has provision for a retractable in-flight refueling probe in the upper part of the nose. This was removed as a result of the SALT negotiations, although it can be easily reinstated if needed. USAF KC-135R Stratotanker, two F-15s (twin fins) and two F-16s, on an aerial refueling training mission Aerial refueling, also called in-flight refueling (IFR) or air-to-air refueling (AAR), is the practice of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight. ... The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks refers to two rounds of bilateral talks and corresponding international treaties between the Soviet Union and United States, the Cold War superpowers, on the issue of armament control. ...

A small number, perhaps 12, of Tu-22M3s were converted to Tu-22M3(R) or Tu-22MR standard, with Shompol side-looking radar and other ELINT equipment. A dedicated electronic warfare variant, designated Tu-22MP, was built in 1986, but to date only two or three prototypes have apparently been built. Some surviving 'Backfires' have had equipment and avionic upgrades to Tu-22ME standard (which does not have a separate NATO reporting name at this time). ELINT stands for ELectronic INTelligence, and refers to intelligence-gathering by use of electronic sensors. ... Electronic warfare (EW) has three main components: Electronic Attack (EA) This is the active use of the electromagnetic spectrum to deny its use by an adversary. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1986: Events January January 9 - the UK Defence Secretary, Michael Heseltine, resigns amidst a political furore over the future of Westland Helicopters. ...

Total production of all variants was about 500.

Service

During the Cold War, the Tu-22M was operated by the VVS (Soviet Air Force) in a strategic bombing role, and by the AVMF (Aviatsiya Voyenno-Morskogo Flota, Soviet Naval Aviation) in a long-range maritime anti-shipping role. The United States was highly concerned about the threat that this new bomber posed. In fact, by 1982 fewer than 200 had been built and it was unable to complete a round trip to the United States and back but the U.S. Navy and Air Force cited it as a serious threat and the result was a budget infusion for the North American Air defense effort. For other uses, please see Cold War (disambiguation). ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Soviet Naval Aviation (Авиация военно-морского флота in Russian, or Aviatsiya Voenno-Morskogo Flota, literally aviation of the military sea fleet) was a part of the Soviet Navy. ... Damaged package The Panama canal. ... An Anti-ship missile (AShM) is a military missile designed for use against naval surface ships. ...

The Tu-22M saw its first combat use in Afghanistan from 1987 to 1989. Its usage was similar to the USAF deployment of B-52 Stratofortress bombers in Vietnam, dropping large tonnages of conventional ordnance. Despite the considerable power of these attacks, their strategic usefulness was marginal. 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Seal of the Air Force. ... The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range jet strategic bomber flown by the United States Air Force (USAF) since 1954. ...

Tu-22M3, Monino, 2004

At the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union some 370 remained in CIS service. Their complexity has led to considerable serviceability problems with the dismal state of the post-Soviet Russian economy, leading to an end of production in 1993, although there has been talk of reopening production. Current strength is perhaps 70 aircraft. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2288x1712, 2493 KB) Summary Tu-22M3 at Monino Air Force Museum, 16 Aug 2004 Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Tupolev Tu-22M Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2288x1712, 2493 KB) Summary Tu-22M3 at Monino Air Force Museum, 16 Aug 2004 Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Tupolev Tu-22M Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... The rise of Gorbachev Although reform stalled between 1964–1982, the generational shift gave new momentum for reform. ... Headquarters Minsk, Belarus Member states 11 member states 1 associate member Working language Russian Executive Secretary Vladimir Rushailo Formation December 21, 1991 Official website http://cis. ... The rise of Gorbachev Although reform stalled between 1964–1982, the generational shift gave new momentum for reform. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1993: Events The 1,000th Boeing 747 comes off the production line 26 years after the first 747 was built. ...

The Russian Federation used the 'Backfire' in combat against Chechen forces in 1995, carrying out strikes near Grozny. Capital Grozny Area - total - % water Ranked 80th - 15,300 km² - negligible Population - Total - Density Ranked 49th - est. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Grozny or Groznyy (Russian: ) is the capital of the Chechen Republic in Russia. ...

The Soviet Union did not export the Tu-22M, but the break-up of the USSR left some aircraft in the possession of former Soviet republics. Belarus has 52 (the serviceability of which is unclear). Ukraine possessed an additional 29, but since the Ukrainian government's renunciation of nuclear weapons, those aircraft have been destroyed, the last in 2004. The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 kilometers (11 mi) above the hypocenter. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 2004: Events January 2 - Several British Airways flights from London Heathrow Airport to Washington D.C. and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia are cancelled due to security fears. ...

Tupolev has sought export customers for the Tu-22M since 1992, with possible customers including Iran, India and the People's Republic of China, but no sales have apparently materialised. Four were leased to India in 2001 for maritime reconnaissance and strike purposes [1]. Iran reportedly has also purchased 7 Tu-22M's, but this has not been confirmed. Tupolev (Russian: Туполев) is a Russian aerospace and defence company. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1992: Events The European Commission approves three new regulations to liberalize air travel within the European Union. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 2001: Events April: The unmanned aircraft Global Hawk flies automatically from Edwards AFB in the US to Australia non-stop and unrefuelled. ...

Former Users

• Soviet Union
• Belarus
• Ukraine

Current Users

• Russia (Tu-22M3)
• Iran

• As of December 2005, Russia has offered the Tu-22M3 to India

Trivia

The Tu-22M was featured prominently in the Tom Clancy novel, Red Storm Rising, and the movie WarGames. In the film The Sum of All Fears, a group of Tu-22Ms attack and cripple USS John C. Stennis. In the "Specifics of National Hunting" comedy (Russian: «Особенности национальной охоты» 1995 г., 94 мин., Россия; Ленфильм, Госкомкино России; Художественный кинофильм) different types of Tu-22Ms starring the same aircraft carry a cow in the bomb bay. Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. ... Red Storm Rising is a 1986 techno-thriller novel by Tom Clancy and Larry Bond about a third world war in Europe between NATO and Warsaw Pact forces, set around the mid-1980s, probably in 1986 or 1987. ... This article is about the 1983 US movie. ... The Sum of All Fears is a 2002 film by Phil Alden Robinson, based on the book by the same name by Tom Clancy. ... USS (CVN-74) is a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier in the United States Navy named for a Senator from Mississippi. ...

Specifications (Tu-22M3 'Backfire-C')

General characteristics

• Crew: 4 (pilot, co-pilot, bombardier, defensive systems operator)
• Length: 41.46 m (136 ft)
• Wingspan:
  
• Spread (20° sweep): 23.30 m (76 ft 5 in)
• Swept (65° sweep): 34.28 m (112 ft 6 in))
• Height: 11.05 m (36 ft 3 in)
• Wing area:
  
• Spread: 183.6 m² (1,976 ft²)
• Swept: 175.8 m² (1,892 ft²)
• Empty weight: 78,000 kg (172,000 lb)
• Loaded weight: 112,000 kg (247,000 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 126,000 kg (277,800 lb)
• Powerplant: 2× Klimov NK-25 turbofans, 245 kN (55,000 lbf) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: Mach 2.05 (2,300 km/h, 1,430 mph)
• Range: 7000 km (4350 mi)
• Combat radius: 2410 km (1500 mi)
• Service ceiling: 13,300 m (43,635 ft)
• Rate of climb: m/s (ft/min)
• Wing loading: 688 kg/m² (147 lb/ft²)
• Thrust/weight: 0.40

Armament

• Guns: 1× GSh-23 cannon in remotely controlled tail turret
• Bombs and missiles: external wing and fuselage pylons and an internal weapons bay for 21,000 kg (46,300 lb) of disposable ordnance
  • 1× Raduga Kh-22 missile in weapons bay (precluded any other payload) or
  • 1× internal rotary launcher for six Raduga Kh-15 short-range nuclear missiles plus two more Kh-15 or Kh-27 on each wing pylon

Image File history File links Tupolev_Tu-26_BACKFIRE.png Source: Tu-26 BACKFIRE (TUPOLEV), FM 44-80 VISUAL AIRCRAFT RECOGNITION File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Tupolev Tu-22M ... The distance AB is the wing span of this Aer Lingus Airbus A320. ... In aviation, the Maximum Take-Off Weight (or MTOW) is the maximum weight with which an aircraft is allowed to try to achieve flight. ... CFM56-3 turbofan, lower half, side view. ... VNO of an aircraft is the V speed which refers to the velocity of normal operation. ... The maximal total range is the distance an aircraft can fly between takeoff and landing as limited by its fuel capacity. ... In aeronautics, the service ceiling is the maximum density altitude where the best rate of climb airspeed will produce a 100 feet per minute climb(twin engine) and 50 feet(single engine) at maximum weight while in a clean configuration with maximum continuous power. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... In aerodynamics, wing loading is the loaded weight of the aircraft divided by the area of the wing. ... Thrust-to-weight ratio (where weight means weight at the Earths surface) is a dimensionless parameter characteristic of rocket and jet engines, and of vehicles propelled by such engines (typically space launch vehicles and jet aircraft). ... The Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23L is a twin-barreled 23mm cannon developed by the Soviet Union, primarily for military aircraft use. ... M242 Bushmaster autocannon on an M2 Bradley. ... Kh-22 under Tu-22M3 The Raduga Kh-22 (NATO reporting name AS-4 Kitchen) is a large, long-range anti-ship missile developed by the Soviet Union. ... The Raduga Kh-15 (NATO reporting name AS-16 Kickback) is Soviet/CIS short-range nuclear missile carried by bomber aircraft. ...

External links

• http://airwar.ru/enc/bomber/tu22m3.html
• Globalsecurity.org entry for the Tu-22M
• Tu-22* at aviation.ru
• FAS.org entry for Tu-22M

Related content

Related development

• Tupolev Tu-22
• Tupolev Tu-98
• Tupolev Tu-160

Comparable aircraft

• B-1 Lancer

Designation sequence

• Tupolev: Tu-103 - Tu-104 - Tu-105 - Tu-106 - Tu-107 - Tu-110 - Tu-114
• Soviet Air Force: Tu-14 - Tu-16 - Tu-20 - Tu-22/Tu-22M - Tu-24 - Tu-26 - Tu-28 - Tu-160

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