The Tu-141 Strizh and its little siblings, Tu-143 Reys and Tu-243 Reys-D, are the most
notable Soviet-built unmanned aerial vehicles, shortly UAV.
Despite their old ages, they are still managing to make the headlines.
In particular, the crash of a Ukrainian Tu-141 in Croatia has questioned the effectiveness
of NATO's air defence in Europe.
Now, we are investigating the Tu-141/143/243, the old but still effective menace.
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The Tu-141 and Tu-143 are actually different UAV types.
But simply, the first one is a scaled-up variant of the second.
Also, the Tu-243 is the modernized and slightly modified model of the Tu-143.
Therefore, we found it appropriate to investigate them as individual members of a family.
The root of these UAVs goes back to the 1960s.
Although the Soviet engineers had developed a radio-controlled-variant of the Tupolev
TB-1 bomber in the late 1930s, the USSR had not been interested in this work for a long
time.
However, with the emergence of the surface-to-air missile batteries in the 1950s, the Soviet
Army needed unmanned aerial targets for training.
Initially, the USSR equipped some aircraft, such as the MiG-15, MiG-17, Il-28 and Tu-4,
with remote control instruments and used them as missile training targets.
Later, Lavochkin began to work on a dedicated unmanned aerial target called La-17.
The company also developed the reconnaissance variant of the UAV, called La-17R.
But, the performance of the La-17R, which made its first flight in 1963, did not satisfy
the Soviet Armed Forces.
Before that, Tupolev had begun to develop a mobile nuclear supersonic medium-range cruise
missile, called Tu-121, in 1957.
But after trials, the USSR cancelled the project in favour of ballistic missiles.
So, Tupolev decided to use Tu-121's design to develop a strategic reconnaissance UAV.
The fruit of this project, Tu-123 Yastreb, made its first flight in 1961.
The result was satisfactory.
Tupolev produced 52 Tu-123 for the Soviet Air Force.
This achievement paved the way for the acceptance of the UAVs as a reconnaissance platform in
the USSR.
But, the Tu-123 was an expendable UAV, parachuting its payload to the ground for recovery.
So, Tupolev decided to develop its reusable variant, called Tu-139 Yastreb-2.
This UAV remained as experimental.
Still, the experiences gained from the project paved the way for the development of Tu-141
and Tu-143.
The works on these UAVs began almost simultaneously.
They had similar appearances.
But, due to the difference between their designated flight range criteria, the Tu-141 was larger
than the Tu-143.
In fact, according to the initial plan, these two UAVs would be considerably different in
many ways.
For example, the Soviet Air Forces demanded the Tu-141 to have transonic or low supersonic
flight capability to avoid NATO's air defence systems.
Also, another requirement was to have ski-landing gear.
But, after extensive studies, the Tupolev engineers convinced the Soviet military staff
that these requirements would cause an excessive increase in weight and costs.
So, the Tu-141 turned into just a scale-up variant of the Tu-143.
The short-range Tu-143 made its first flight in December 1970 and entered the Soviet Air
Force's service in 1976.
The dispute between Tupolev and the Soviet Air Force had caused delays in the Tu-141
programme.
This tactical UAV made its maiden flight in December 1974.
Because the powerplant of the UAV, the Tumansky KR-17A turbojet engine, was not mature yet,
the first ten preproduction Tu-141s had the R9A-300 engines.
Later production models had the KR-17As.
The UAV became operational in 1979.
In 1981, the USSR demanded the development of the modernized variant of the Tu-143.
According to the initial plan, the new variant, called Tu-243, would have a similar aerodynamic
layout and powerplant to its predecessor.
But the new UAV would have a new navigation and flight system and updated reconnaissance
equipment.
Also, Tupolev would reconfigure the placement of the mission equipment and enlarge the fuel
tanks to extend the range.
The first prototype of the Tu-243 made its first flight in July 1987.
But, the collapse of the USSR caused delays.
By using this time, Tupolev worked on new improvements to the mission equipment.
Also, it replaced the previous powerplant with the more powerful and lighter TRZ-117A
turbojet engine.
After these changes, the Tu-243 entered the Russian Air Force's service in 1999.
Except for the size, all three UAVs have similar design features.
Their fuselages are made of mainly aluminium alloys, and some parts are composites.
The all-metal triangular low-wings have 58 degrees sweep angle at the leading edges.
The air intake is above the fuselage, and the tail is above it.
The main engines are arranged at an angle of 4.5 degrees to the axis of the aircraft.
There are different solid-propellant boosters for each UAV at the rear-end of under fuselages
to launch.
These UAVs, which can be launched by towed or mobile launchers, perform their cruises,
manoeuvres, returns and landings autonomously.
The Tu-143 and Tu-243 have a low-altitude radio altimeter and an altitude input unit
for low-level reconnaissance missions.
The landings are carried out using a parachute system located in a fairing in the rear fuselage
above the turbojet nozzle.
These UAVs can carry either a photo camera or a TV camera located in the interchangeable
pod.
There are day and infrared options for both types of cameras.
The ground control unit can simultaneously receive the data via radio during a reconnaissance
mission with the TV camera.
However, the UAVs have to return to access film from the photo camera.
The Tu-143 and Tu-243 can also carry radiation reconnaissance equipment.
The Tu-141 tactical UAV can perform reconnaissance missions deep behind the enemy line.
The mission definition of the Tu-143 and Tu-243 is to conduct reconnaissance missions over
the battlefield.
The Tu-141, Tu-143, and Tu-243 are the given name of the UAVs.
The complete reconnaissance systems, including the ground control units and other components,
are called VR-2 Strizh, VR-3 Reys and VR-3D Reys-D, respectively.
Belarus, North Korea, Russia, Syria and Ukraine are still operating these UAVs.
Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and its successors, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Iraq, Romania,
and the USSR are the former users.
The Tu-141 has a length of is 14.33 meters, a wingspan of 3.88 metres, a wing area of
10 square meters, and a height of 2.44 meters.
Its gross weight is 5,370 kilograms.
The UAV has a 19.6 kiloNewton Tumansky KR-17A turbojet engine.
Its top speed is about 1,110 kilometres per hour, while its cruise speed is 1,000 kilometres
per hour.
The range of the Tu-141 is 1,000 kilometres.
The service ceiling of the UAV is 6,000 meters, in other words, 19,685 feet.
The scaled-down Tu-143 has a length of is 8.06 meters, a wingspan of 2.24 metres, a
wing area of 2.9 square meters, and a height of 1.55 meters.
Its gross weight is 1,230 kilograms.
The UAV has a 6.28 kiloNewton TRD TRZ-117 turbojet engine.
Its cruise speed is 950 kilometres per hour.
The range of the Tu-143 is 180 kilometres.
The service ceiling of the UAV is 1,000 meters, in other words, 3,280 feet.
The Tu-243 has a similar size to the Tu-143, except its fuselage is 0.23 metres longer.
Its gross weight is 1,400 kilograms.
The UAV has a range of 360 kilometres, and its service ceiling is 5,000 metres, in other
words, 16,400 feet.
The Tu-143 and Tu-243 have only a 13-minute endurance.
During the Soviet Air Force service, the Tu-141s and Tu-143s were generally deployed in Europe.
Because they had about five-launch operational life, the USSR rarely used them for reconnaissance
missions against NATO.
Especially, Tu-141s were generally presented in major Warsaw Pact military exercises.
But, the Tu-143 had a busier career.
The Syrian Arab Air Force used them over Israel for reconnaissance missions during the 1982
Lebanon War.
But, they were not efficient as the Israeli UAVs, which played a critical role in the
victory.
Also, the USSR operated the Tu-143s to detect the Mujahidin's positions and movements during
the invasion of Afghanistan.
After the collapse of the USSR, Russia has used many Tu-141s and Tu-143s as target drones.
But, the Tu-141 has resurrected in an unexpected place, Europe, in the 2010s.
After the 2014 Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, Ukraine began to re-activate
many Soviet-vintage weapon systems.
One of them was the Tu-141.
The Ukrainian Air Force has used these UAVs for reconnaissance missions over the Donbas
region.
The separatists claim that at least one of them was shot down.
Since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Ukraine has continued using them.
A Ukrainian Tu-141 crashed in Vinnytsia on March 8, 2022.
Three days after, another one was reported shot down over the Crimea and crashed near
the city of Krasnoperekopsk.
Also, the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces managed to shoot down at least one Russian Tu-243.
But, the most shocking event is that on March 10, 2022, a Ukrainian Tu-141 crashed in Zagreb/Croatia
over 550 kilometres from Ukraine.
Fortunately, there were no casualties.
Croatian authorities initially could not figure where the drone came from out.
The usual suspect was Russia.
But, the Russian Embassy in Zagreb stated that the Russian Armed Forces had not used
the Tu-141 since 1991.
After the investigation, Croatia declared that the Tu-141 belonged to Ukraine.
It had carried a bomb and been sent to attack the target in Russia.
Because of a navigation error, this Tu-141 had passed over Romania and Hungary and then
crashed in Croatia after it had run out of fuel.
Due to the sympathy for the Ukrainians, Zagreb has not gone hard for Kyiv.
But, Croatians are disappointed with NATO, as the Hungarians and Romanians are.
This incident has revealed a severe shortcoming of NATO's joint air defence network.
Today NATO is at risk of war against Russia, and an obsolete UAV passed over the airspace
of three member countries undetected.
Later, on March 15, 2022, the Croatian MiG-21s and French Rafales began to patrol over Croatia
as part of a joint exercise.
Since the incident, the Hungarian Air Force is also on alert.
On March 11, the Hungarian air defence detected two suspicious radar signals, and the Gripens
scrambled to intercept the possible threats.
But, they found no suspicious flying object.
The recent conflicts have proved that the preparation of the Russian Armed Forces against
the UAV threat is not sufficient.
But, the Tu-141 revealed that NATO also has to reorganize and recalibrate its air defence
against drones.
So we should see that the Tu-141 and its little siblings, Tu-143 and Tu-243, will most likely
pave the way for a change in air defence concepts in the West.
They have proved that even a 1970-vintage UAV can undetectably penetrate NATO's air
defence and overcome the most sophisticated air defence networks.
This fact makes the Tu-141, Tu-143, and Tu-243, which have the potential of shaping the future,
the true legends.
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