Hello and welcome to another episode of Military TV.
Today we're going to talk about Russia's Tu-22M3 Backfire Bomber.
The Tu-22M3 bomber has been the face of the Russian air force all over the world.
Between dropping bombs over Syria to patrolling airspace over Japan, the Tu-22M3 has also been
receiving a series of upgrades. These upgrades allow for greater bombing accuracy with
conventional weapons, as well as the capability to fire new Air-Launched Cruise Missiles (ALCM).
One of these upgrades may change how the Tu-22M3 is controlled under the New START treaty. It may
finally be considered a strategic “heavy” bomber. The Tupolev Tu-22M is a strategic bomber with
a variable-sweep wing developed during the Soviet era. It was later followed by several
modernized versions, including the Tu-22M3 “Backfire”. Operated by four crew members,
this variant can reach speeds above 2,000 km/h and deliver more than 12 tons of ordnance.
It was recently deployed in Syria and is part of the Russian nuclear deterrence strategy.
The Tu-22M3 with its NATO's name: Backfire-C, first flew in 1977,
introduced into operation in 1983 and officially entered service in 1989, it had new NK-25 engines
with substantially more power, wedge-shaped intake ramps similar to the MiG-25, wings with greater
maximum sweep and a recontoured nose housing a new Almaz PNA (Planeta Nositel, izdeliye 030A)
navigation/attack radar and NK-45 nav/attack system, which provides much-improved low-altitude
flight. The aerodynamic changes increased its top speed to Mach 2.05 and its range by one-third
compared to the Tu-22M2. It has a revised tail turret with a single cannon, and provision for
an internal rotary launcher for the Raduga Kh-15 missile, similar to the American AGM-69 SRAM.
It was nicknamed Troika ('Trio' or third) in Russian service. 268 were built until 1993.
As built, the Tu-22M included the provision for a retractable probe in the upper part of the nose
for aerial refueling. The probe was reportedly removed as a result of the SALT negotiations,
because with refueling it was considered an intercontinental-range strategic bomber.
The probe can be reinstated if needed. Tu-22M3s used to attack targets in Syria
underwent modernization, during which the SVP-24-22 specialized computing subsystems
were installed on them, significantly increasing the accuracy of the bombing.
Thirty of the Russian air force's 67 Tu-22M3's will receive the upgrades and
enter service starting in 2021. The subsequent Tu-22M3 was much more of an iterative upgrade,
retaining the Tu-22M’s design philosophy while implementing minor nose and wing alterations
along with a more powerful NK-25 engine. The Tu-22M3 has remained the latest Backfire model
through the Soviet collapse, but it is becoming dated in the age of modern electronic warfare and
sophisticated radar systems. Long-range bombers, including naval missiles, were created to complete
missions in zones of military operation, both on land and at sea. In recent decades,
the Tu-22M3 has successfully performed these functions. Equipped with in-air refueling
technology, the Tu-22M3 is capable of being used for long-distance flights,
with a fairly wide range of speeds and altitudes. For the Tu-22M3's combat range is about 2,400
kilometers. This is enough to make this plane fly over various countries in Western Europe.
Taking into account the aerial reloading capability, if needed, the Tu-22M3 is even
capable of reaching the US. Moreover, in the aircraft there is a reliable navigation complex.
In terms of aircraft control, the automated onboard system that is installed significantly
simplifies the pilot's task. That's why the Soviet missile-armed Backfire bomber
represented as one of the most serious threats to U.S. Navy carrier strike groups.
During the test, the Kh-22 supersonic cruise rocket launched from the Tupolev aircraft
was able to penetrate the carrier's hull and leave a hole with a diameter of 20 meters.
This winged missile is capable of flying up to a distance of 500 kilometers at a speed of
1,000 m/s. These rockets can also be equipped with nuclear warheads. One Tu-22M3 unit is capable of
carrying three such rockets. Moreover, this aircraft is also armed with Kh-15 rockets
which have a maximum firing range of up to 250 kilometers with a speed of up to 6,000 km/hour.
The Tupolev is also capable of carrying weapons with a maximum load of 24 tons.
In addition, Russia may test its Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aero-ballistic missile onboard
the Tupolev Tu-22M3 Backfire bomber, which would greatly extend the number
of targets Moscow could hold at risk with the new weapon. The missile is currently launched
from onboard the Mikoyan MiG-31K variant of the Mach 2.83 capable Foxhound interceptor,
but the Kinzhal might be better operationally suited for a bomber. While adding the Kinzhal
to the Backfire’s arsenal might be operationally useful for the Russian air force, it remains to be
seen if the Tu-22M3 is capable of accelerating the weapon into the correct launch parameters.
With a claimed range of over 1,200 nautical miles and a speed of Mach 10, the addition of
the Kinzhal missile would significantly boost the Backfire’s capabilities to strike land
and maritime targets across Europe, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific and the North Atlantic
regions. While Western experts harbor some doubts about just how operational the Kinzhal missile is,
the Russians insist that the weapon is operational onboard the MiG-31K. Moscow claims
that its MiG-31K crews have already flown more than 250 training flights with the new weapon.
Thus, it is likely that the Kinzhal is probably operational in a limited capacity,
but eventually, the weapon will likely be deployed more widely as it becomes more mature.
It is also likely that the Kinzhal will probably be integrated on other Russian strike platforms
such as the Tu-22M3, Tu-160 Blackjack or even large fighter aircraft such as the Su-30SM
that can reach high supersonic speeds. But before we end this video, let's see
accidental ejection from the Tu-22M3 bomber. Three crewmembers of a Tu-22M3 bomber were killed when
their ejection seat accidentally triggered while on the ground at Shaykovka airbase,
southwest of Moscow, Russia. On March 23, 2021, the ejection system of a Tu-22M3 was
accidentally triggered during a pre-flight check at the aerodrome in the Kaluga region,”
the Russian Ministry of Defense said. “Due to an insufficient altitude for the parachutes to open,
the three crew members were fatally injured as a result of their fall.”
An investigating team of the Russian Aerospace Forces was sent to Shaykovka airbase to conduct
a technical examination of the aircraft and establish the causes of the accident. The Tu-22M
is equipped with a KT-1M ejection system developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau.
Given the nature of the incident, it is likely that the “forced ejection” procedure
was triggered by the bomber’s commander. If that feature is activated, a sequence begins
where the operator is ejected first, then the navigator, then the first officer, and finally
the commander of the aircraft. The KT-1M is advertised as a “zero-zero” ejection seat,
meaning it can safely be used from a stationary (zero airspeed, zero altitude) position.
We hope this incident will not recur again in military aviation.
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