Tupolev Tu-142 (Bear)

History of Tupolev Tu-142 (Bear)

As the Tupolev Tu-95 "Bear" proved to be a successful strategic bomber in multiple roles for the Soviet military, a dedicated marine was developed from the same airframe as the Tu-142 (NATO codename) Reconnaissance and anti-submarine variants from "Bear-F" and "Bear-J"). The Tu-142 received an elongated fuselage and a maritime search radar in the ventral radome.

It can be armed with anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, mines and sonobuoys to counter the threat posed by more advanced ballistic missile submarines (equipped with Polaris) that are beginning to emerge in the West.

The heart of the Tu-142 is its airborne equipment, which forms one half of the system (the other being the weapon). The device combines the long-range qualities inherent in the original Tu-95 to provide underwater vessel detection, tracking and combat. The common four-engine configuration was also retained, including swept airfoils, a traditional rear wing and a slender fuselage.

The landing gear is retractable and belongs to the tricycle arrangement. The operations team typically consists of 11 employees.

The Tu-142MZ is a mid-term upgrade (MLU) designed to retain the Tu-142 as a viable anti-submarine platform against a new generation of Western submarines. All new equipment and an upgraded ECM package became part of the package, along with a new 14,795 hp Kuznetsov NK-12MP engine. The engine no longer needs a service from an external unit to start. These models are also known for their improved chin guards.

Development spanned the mid-1980s and joined the Soviet Navy in 1993. In 1994, the last Bear left the assembly line after 100 aircraft were built.

Like the previous Tu-95 lifespan, several "special mission" and experimental aircraft were developed for the Tu-142 product line, including the Tu-142MZ-K commercial freighter (not adopted), the Tu-142MP avionics test bed , Tu-142MR submarine communication relay platform and Tu-142LL turbofan engine test bed (two examples were built).

The modern Russian Navy is still operating the Tu-142, albeit in limited numbers (about 22 are in service, with plans to modernize the fleet with a new bomb system). After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine took over the ex-Soviet Tu-142 stockpile, although these were scrapped under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty ("START-1") between the United States and Russia. Likewise, the Indian Navy no longer uses its Tu-142MK-E model aircraft - the last one was scrapped in March 2017 after nearly three years of service.

The Boeing P-8 Poseidon was chosen to replace her in the same role.

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