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Two Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bombers carried out a planned flight in the airspace over neutral waters in the Black Sea.
The news outlet of the Russian Ministry of Defense Zvezda published a video showing the flight.
The two strategic bombers remained in the air for five hours in the air and covered a distance of 4,500 kilometers were overcome during the flight.
On the route, the long-range aircraft were escorted by fighter jets of the Southern Military District.
The main objective of the Tu-22M3 is the destruction of a wide range of ground and surface targets. The development of the Tu-22M was carried out in the 1960s, and the machine made its first flight in 1969. The start of operation of the TU-22M0 took place in 1969, the Tu-22M2 in 1976, and the Tu-22M3 in 1983.
The Tu-22M3, despite being relatively aged has received numerous upgrades in recent years.
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.
They are also being upraded to Tu-22M3M, according to available documentation.
The Tu-22M3M bombers will get advanced precision weapons while their radio-electronic devices and engines will be similar to the equipment aboard the latest Tu-160M2 aircraft, the source added.
“The development of the documentation for the Tu-22M3M has been completed and work is currently under way at the Kazan Aircraft Enterprise to prepare the production facilities for the repair and modernization of the bombers that are in service in the operational units of Russia’s Aerospace Force. The first heavy upgrade of these planes since the time of their development will begin from next year,” the source said.
“The Tu-22M3M will feature an absolutely new avionics system standardized with the Tu-160M2,” the source noted.
“This refers to the entire avionics, including the navigation and sighting complex,” the source said, adding that after its upgrade the Tu-22M3M would get a possibility to use “modern long-range precision weapons.”
According to the source, the Tu-22M3M will have a power unit identical to the motor system aboard the Tu-160M2.
30 Tu-22M3 are planned to be upgraded. They will feature a new SVP-24-22 radio-electronic system, a NV-45 radar, the cockpit’s improved ergonomics, new onboard systems and an extended service life of 35 years. The upgraded bomber will be able to carry precision conventional weapons, including Kh-32 cruise missiles with a range of up to 600 km.
The Tu-22M3 long-range supersonic missile-carrying bomber is a heavily upgraded version of the Tu-22M aircraft. The plane was developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the mid-1970s. It performed its debut flight on June 20, 1977 and went into service in 1989. It develops a maximum speed of 2,000 km/h, has a service ceiling of 13,300 meters and a combat load of up to 24 tonnes (Kh-22 and Kh-15 missiles, bombs, sea mines).
The strategic bombers will also reportedly be equipped with Russia’s Kinzhal hypersonic missile.
According to open source data, Russia has produced 268 such warplanes. According to the Military Balance magazine, the Russian Aerospace Force operates 62 Tu-22M3 bombers.
They are actively used in attacks on militant facilities in Syria.
It should be recalled that in the end of 2019, in December, there was an incident when a Tu-22M3 crashed in Murmansk.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
- Russia’s Tu-22M3 Strategic Bomber Made Off-Runway Landing After Its Engie Failed In Air
- Video Shows Moment When Tu-22M3 Strategic Bomber Crash-Landed In Russia’s Murmansk Region
- Russia Reveals First Flight Video Of Its Modernized Tu-22M3M Strategic Bomber
- Russia Showcases Its Modernized Tu-22M3M Strategic Bomber
Is it a message for Erdogan ?
We have seen in these days over black sea many flights…Tu 22, Su 30/24 ( Naval aviation), Mig 31 and Su 35…
Dear President Erdogan, Your delivery firework has been processed and is currently being processed in our transport hub for delivery to your Palace.
Your delivery must be signed for by you for security reasons and we will give you a time slot, am or pm . You can cancel or delay this order at any time but it must be done by the end of March. After that time delivery is mandatory.
This message is sent to you by the Russian AreoSpace Forces Prime Account team. Your customer representative , Vlad, is always on duty if you have any questions. :)
Lol
“They are actively used in attacks on militant facilities in Syria.” You can’t inactively use something; best to avoid promiscuous use of modish adverbs and adjectives.
“The Tu-22M3 long-range supersonic missile-carrying bomber is a heavily upgraded version of the Tu-22 aircraft”
Not exactly correct, the Tu-22 and Tu-22M are two very different planes. The Tu-22 is the “Blinder” and the Tu-22M is the “Backfire”.
The reason for the similar names, is that the Tupolev ODB quickly finded out that getting finance for an upgraded is easier than for a new plane. So they dubed the Kremlin, and when tKremlin figured it out, the military needed the Backfire more than courtmartial of Tupolev ODB would benefit.
I hope the Turks stay on board with moving Syria in a positive direction. Rather than continuing to fuel the terror war. You can’t ignore the saber rattling. And it’s unfortunate that it’s happening. Even the Zionist Euros are looking at the Turks like what’s wrong with this government? The general population in particular more so than the pols. But even many pols privately must be getting tired of the endless Turkish Jew bootlicking.
i am interested in this bird.What’s the range of Tu 22M3 range,and altitude?
Oh ugly tyrants! The have banned you in Wikipedia! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-22M
Tu-22M3M Tu-22M3 for the Russian Air Force with engines from Tu-160M2 (NK-32-02), 80 percent of avionics are replaced or upgraded,[84] including SVP-24-22 bombsights, a phased array NV-45 radar, GLONASS navigation system, modern digital glass cockpit and engine controls, electronic warfare countermeasures,[84][85] and the ability to use precision air-to-surface weapons. The Russian Ministry of Defense intends to upgrade up to 30 aircraft out of approximately 60 Tu-22M3s currently in service to the advanced Tu-22M3M variant.[86][87] Can carry 3 Kh-32[88] or 4 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missiles.[16] Service life will be extended to 40–45 years.[89] On 16 August 2018, the first modernized aircraft was unveiled during a roll-out ceremony at the Kazan Aviation Plant.[90] It performed its maiden flight on 28 December 2018.[91] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-22M
This basically means that Russia can target Incirlik AFB in Turkey where Turkey’s 90 some F – 16’s are based. All out of range of Turkey’s S – 400’s. Russia, can quickly render Turkey’s air bases useless. And easily cut off the supply lines, and or retreat of Turkish forces in Syria.
Russians also have a big surprise for the Turks and their proxies in Libya. You see, the Russians are just letting the Turks dig themselves a deep enough grave before the decapitate the Turks .
Then it will fall on the U .N. and NATO to negotiate for the return of Turkey’s POW’s.