Aviation Naval Warfare Land Systems Small Arms By Flag By Year By Tag

Tupolev Tu-22 (Blinder)

History of Tupolev Tu-22 (Blind)

Soviet-Russian Tupolev Concern has a long and well-established history of developing and producing large bomber-class aircraft for the Soviet-Russian Air Force. The Tu-22 was developed in the late 1950s and entered service in the early 1960s, adding long-range offensive strikes to Soviet Air Force operations. At launch, the Tu-22 was the Soviet Union's first operational supersonic bomber. Despite its impressive appearance and technical infrastructure, the Tu-22 fell short of expectations, seeing only modest combat operations and production figures of no more than 311 units.

All have since retired from operational service.

Tupolev Tu-16 ("Badger")

For most of the 1950s, the Soviet Air Force relied on the Tupolev Tu-16 (NATO: "Badger") for its strategic bombing role. The type was first introduced in 1954 and 1,500 prototypes were built and licensed elsewhere. There are many global operators, including Egypt, Georgia, Iraq and Ukraine, as well as the Soviet Union/Russia. The plane is equipped with two turbojet engines, each delivering 21,000 pounds of thrust, a top speed of 650 mph and a range of 4,400 miles.

However, the aircraft dates back to the early 1950s and can only reach subsonic speeds.

During the Cold War, Soviet authorities were looking for a supersonic solution and approved the development of a successor to the Tu-16. The new aircraft will have strong air defense penetration and deploy a payload comparable to the Tu-16 it is intended to replace.

Of course, since it is the Cold War era, the provision of nuclear free-fall bombs is also a necessary condition. The technology ultimately resulted in better aerodynamics and improved engine performance, turning Tupolev's original "Samolet 105" prototype into the "Samolet 105A".

The first flight was recorded on September 7, 1959, and after testing and evaluation, the aircraft was accepted into service with the Soviet Air Force as the Tu-22. The first production run revealed the Tu-22B variant, which was shown to the world public in July 1961. After identifying the new breed, NATO observers code-named the plane "Blind." Officially entered Soviet aviation service sometime in 1962.

By the end of production, approximately 311 Tu-22 Blinder aircraft, produced from 1960 to 1969, had been delivered.

Tu-22 Blind Tour

The design of the Tu-22 resulted in a very elegant shape, although its core was practical, as was the case with previous Cold War Soviet aircraft tests. This easy path usually results in a very powerful and powerful aircraft, and the Tu-22 is no exception. The fuselage is tubular and controllable in shape, with a very pointed nose cone that houses the navigation/attack radar kit.

The cockpit is located aft of the nose cone and accommodates a crew of three, including the pilot, navigator and weapons officer. The pilot sits in the front left and the navigator in the lower right. The weapons officer was behind the pilot.

The fuselage ridges obstruct any useful rearward visibility, and the heavy cockpit hampers forward and side visibility somewhat. The wings are well swept back, mounted low and placed in the boat to provide the necessary stability at supersonic speeds. Stripes are noted along the surface of each wing. The empennage is the Tu-22's most unique design aspect, as it houses a nacelle of twin turbojets mounted on the bottom of a single vertical fin.

This allows more interior space for the wings and fuselage to carry ammunition and fuel. A pair of swept horizontal planes are also noted. The landing gear consists of a conventional nose and main leg arrangement. The internal gun bay allows different types of ammunition to be carried. All in all, the Tu-22 is a huge aircraft by any measure.

All three crew positions are equipped with ejection-down seats.

The standard defensive armament of the Tu-22 series is a 23mm AM-23 or R-23 series cannon mounted on a remote-controlled turret located in the stern. This gun position protected the aircraft's vulnerable "Six" and was operated by the gunner.

Offensive firepower is managed through an internal bomb bay buried in the mid-hull, which can range from 24 conventional FAB-500 series general-purpose drop bombs to nuclear bombs as needed. Only later production forms manage rocket support.

The included Navigation Attack Radar Kit provides modern support. Deals that can raise up to ?20,000. In the case of missile support, the Tu-22 is usually armed with 1 x Kh-22 (AS-4 "Kitchen") cruise missile.

The Tu-22 is powered by two Dobrynin RD-7M-2 series turbojets. 24,250 pounds of thrust dry (each) and up to 36,376 pounds of thrust after afterburner (essentially pumping raw fuel into the engine to provide short bursts of power and speed). Top speed is 938 mph (Mach 1.42) and range is 3,000 miles.

The Tu-22 can operate at altitudes of 40,500 feet. Maximum takeoff weight is 202,400 lbs.

Operational Services

After being put into service, some design flaws became apparent, leading to accidents with very short turnaround times. As it turns out, the plane was rarely flown even by well-trained personnel, and the range of its engines was never fully suited for the long-range bomber role. The high-tech aspects of the aircraft also mean longer maintenance times and lower flight rates. As the successor to the Tu-16, the Tu-22 will never live up to expectations. Early pilots were inexperienced, and the plane lacked a co-pilot position to share the required workload.

Many ended up losing their lives to mechanical failures.

The Tu-22 has been used several times by the Libyan Air Force with mixed results. The Iraqi Air Force took other notable actions during the Iran-Iraq war.

Again, results were mixed, with increasing casualties and all Tu-22s eventually being destroyed in the first few rounds of Operation Desert Storm. The Soviet Air Force used its Tu-22s throughout the Soviet-Afghan War, although accounts were limited.

Conventional bomber and reconnaissance Tu-22 models

The Tu-22 produced several notable variants during its service life. The first run included the Tu-22B ("Blinder-A") limited to conventional/nuclear bombing. Only 15 examples of this type are made, and this stock is typically used for training and development services. The bomb-capable Tu-22R ("Blinder-C"), a special reconnaissance platform with additional photographic equipment, debuted in 1962. The Tu-22RD is similar in form and function, but is equipped with refueling equipment for an almost unlimited range of operations.

The Tu-22RK is another reconnaissance variant that, despite its dedicated electronic intelligence (ELINT) equipment, is able to control its bombing roots. The Tu-22RDK is just an ELINT model with a refueling device.

The modernization program created the Tu-22RDM reconnaissance platform, while the Tu-22P ("Blinder-E") is a new ELINT model. The Tu-22PD is its compatible aerial refueling counterpart.

Tu-22 Missile Carrier

With the arrival of the Tu-22K ("Blinder-B") launched in 1965, it was ready for the rocket launcher. The same is true for the Tu-22KD's regulations for aerial refueling. Like other models before it, the Tu-22K variant was further developed into the Tu-22KP, a version of the Electronic Warfare Aircraft (EWA) that retained its conventional bombing capabilities. These first appeared in 1968 and were equipped with radar-homing missiles to defeat ground-based tracking systems.

The Tu-22KPD is the same model with only onboard refueling facilities.

Tu-22 Trainer Derivative

There are several trainer variants known as the Tu-22U ("Blinder-D") and the Tu-22UD. The duo stood out by installing on-board refueling equipment. Overall, these additions feature a raised position in the instructor's cockpit.

Conclusion

The Tu-22 Blinder medium bomber family is no longer used by any modern air force. The Libyan Tu-22 was eventually scrapped because the Libyan Air Force lacked the spare parts it needed to continue servicing its expensive, sophisticated aircraft. Iraq lost part of its Tu-22 stockpile in the bloody Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, all of which were eventually destroyed or scrapped in the coming Gulf War in the early 1990s. The Ukrainian Air Force inherited its inventory of Tu-22s from the defunct Soviet Union, and the planes were eventually herded when the time came.

After the collapse of the Empire, the Soviet Union transferred most, if not all, of its Tu-22 assets to the successor state.

Until 2001, only Ukraine and Libya were considered to have used the Tu-22 for frontline combat missions. The last known service Tu-22 was eventually retired by the Russian Air Force sometime in the 1990s.

A related development of the Tu-22 - and the evolution of its design - became the Tu-22M "Backfire" strategic attack, reconnaissance and maritime bomber in the 1970s. This derivative features "swing wings" (variable geometry wings) and split air intakes, as well as new engines buried in the fuselage.

Although related to and inheriting most of its configuration from the Tu-22, the Tu-22M is essentially an entirely new aircraft development with a profound combat career compared to the original Tu-22 series.