Tupolev Tu-95

Tu-95
Tu-95MS at Engels Air Base
Role	Strategic bomber, missile carrier, airborne surveillance
Manufacturer	Tupolev
First flight	12 November 1952
Introduction	1956 (MS — 1981)
Status	Active in service
Primary users	Soviet Air Force Soviet Navy Russian Air Force
Number built	500+
Variants	Tupolev Tu-114 Tupolev Tu-119 Tupolev Tu-142

The Tupolev Tu-95 (Russian: Туполев Ту–95) is a large, four-engine turboprop powered strategic bomber and missile platform.

First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 was put into service by the former Soviet Union in 1956 and is expected to serve the Russian Air Force until at least 2040..

Commonly known by its NATO designation, the "Bear" the aircraft has four Kuznetsov NK-12 engines, each driving contra-rotating propellers. It remains the fastest mass-produced propeller-driven aircraft and the only turboprop-powered strategic bomber to go into operational use. Its distinctively swept back wings are at 35 degrees, a very sharp angle by the standards of propeller-driven aircraft.

A naval development of the bomber is designated Tu-142.

Design and development

The design bureau led by Andrei Tupolev designed the Soviet Union's first intercontinental bomber, the 1949 Tu-85, a scaled up version of the Tu-4, a B-29 Superfortress copy. The Tu-85 was deemed to be inadequate against the new generation of American all-weather interceptors.

A new requirement was issued to both Tupolev and Myasishchev design bureaus in 1950: the proposed bomber had to have an un-refuelled range of 8000 km (4,970 mi) - far enough to threaten key targets in the United States. Other goals included the ability to carry an 11,000 kg (12 ton) load over the target.

The big problem for Tupolev was the engine choice: the Tu-4 showed that piston engines were not powerful enough to fulfill that role, while the fuel hungry AM-3 jet engines of the proposed T-4 intercontinental jet bomber did not provide adequate range. Turboprops offered more power than piston engines and better range than jets, with a top speed in between.

Taking a cue from American aircraft builder Boeing, which used the recently developed Pratt & Whitney J57 jet engine in its B-52 Stratofortress, the Myasishchev bureau chose jets for its design.

Tupolev's proposal was selected and Tu-95 development was officially approved by the government on 11 July 1951. It featured Kuznetsov NK-12 turboprops fitted with eight-bladed contra-rotating propellers, producing a nominal 8,948 kW (12,000 eshp) power rating. Unlike the advanced engine design, the fuselage was conventional: a low-wing cantilever monoplane with 35 degrees of sweep, an angle which ensured the main wing spar passed though the fuselage in front of the bomb bay. Retractable tricycle landing gear was fitted, with the main gear retracting rearwards. The Tu-95 first flew November 11, 1952 with test-pilot Alexey Perelet at the controls. Series production of the airplane started in January 1956.

For a long time, the Tu-95 was known to Western intelligence as the Tu-20. While this was the original Soviet Air Force designation for the aircraft, by the time it was being supplied to operational units it was already better known under the Tu-95 designation used internally by Tupolev, and the Tu-20 designation quickly fell out of use in the USSR. Since the Tu-20 designation was used on many documents acquired by Western intelligence agents, the name continued to be used outside the Soviet Union.

Initially the United States Department of Defense did not take the Tu-95 seriously, as estimates showed it had a maximum speed of 644 km/h (400 mph) with a range of 12,500 km (7,800 mi). These numbers had to be revised upward numerous times.

Like its American counterpart, the B-52 Stratofortress, the Tu-95 has continued to operate in the Russian Air Force while several iterations of bomber design have come and gone. Part of the reason for this longevity was its suitability, like the B-52, for modification to different missions. Whereas the Tu-95 was originally intended to drop nuclear weapons, it was subsequently modified to perform a wide range of roles, such as the deployment of cruise missiles, maritime patrol (Tu-142), and even civilian airliner (Tu-114). An AWACS platform (Tu-126) was developed from the Tu-114. During and after the Cold War, the Tu-95's utility as a weapons platform has been eclipsed only by its usefulness as a diplomatic icon.

Operational history

Cold War icon

A lineup at sunset of Tu-95MS at Engels Air Base in December 2005.

A Tu-95MS simulating air-to-air refuelling with an Ilyushin Il-78 during the Victory Day Parade in Moscow on 9 May 2008.

The Tu-95RT variant in particular was a veritable icon of the Cold War as it performed a vital maritime surveillance and targeting mission for other aircraft and surface ships and submarines. It was identifiable by a large bulge under the fuselage, which housed a radar antenna that was used to search for and target surface ships. The US Navy placed high priority in intercepting the Tu-95RT aircraft at least two hundred miles from aircraft carriers with its interceptors, which would then escort the Tu-95.

During interceptions Tu-95 tail gunners typically kept their twin cannon pointed upwards so as not to antagonize the intercepting fighters. Similarly, NATO rules of engagement for interceptions restricted aircrews from locking onto the Tu-95 with fire control radar lest this be misinterpreted as a hostile act.

During the height of the Cold War, the long range of the Tu-95 was demonstrated weekly as a pair of Tu-95s would fly from the Kola peninsula to Cuba along the east coast of the United States, escorted continuously along the way.

The Tu-95 carried and dropped the Tsar Bomba, the largest, most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated, in 1961.

Encounters in the air

Close-up of the tail of a Tu-95

Western fighters were — and are — often sent to intercept Tu-95s as they performed their missions along the periphery of NATO airspace, often in very close formation.

Concerning the performance of the aircraft, it has been reported by many fighter pilots that the Tu-95 was able to out-accelerate them for a short distance. There are also tales of the Soviet pilots suddenly swerving to push the escorts off course or cause them to rapidly decelerate. This went both ways, however. In the 1980s, a Royal Norwegian Air Force F-16 was damaged by a Tu-95 while escorting it out of Norwegian airspace. Apparently, the Norwegian pilot had been edging closer and closer to the Tupolev before being caught in the prop wash and having a wingtip torn off in the resulting collision. Both planes landed safely.

As late as 1999, Russian Tu-95s, usually flying in pairs, have come within striking distance both of the Iceland/Greenland route of North Atlantic and Alaska/Bering Sea route of North Pacific. In June 1999, the Tu-95s, along with two Tu-160s, turned back after being intercepted by U.S. fighters. A similar incident occurred in September but the Tu-95s turned back without making contact.

Encounters after 2000

Tu-95MS escorted by a USAF F-15

• April 2002 — two Tu-95 Bear H aircraft flew within 60 km (37 mi) of Alaska, and were intercepted by two F-15s.

• 29 January 2004 — a Tu-95 flew over the USS Kitty Hawk in the Sea of Japan.

• 29 September 2006 — NORAD scrambled Canadian CF-18s from CFB Cold Lake in Central Alberta and American F-15s out of an airbase in Alaska to intercept "a number of the Russian Tu-95 Bear heavy bombers participating in an annual Russian air force exercise near the coast of Alaska and Canada." This launch was a result of the bombers penetrating the North American Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

• May 2007 — the Royal Air Force scrambled two Tornado fighters from RAF Leuchars in Scotland to intercept a Tu-95 observing the Royal Navy exercise Neptune Warrior.

• 17 July 2007 — two Royal Norwegian Air Force F-16s (from Bodø, Norway) and subsequently two RAF Tornados (from RAF Leeming, England) intercepted two Tu-95s as they allegedly made their way down the Norwegian coast towards Scotland.

• August 2007 — two Tu-95s flew towards the U.S. base on Guam, where they were intercepted by U.S. fighter planes. Maj Gen Pavel Androsov of the Russian Air Force told a news conference, "We renewed the tradition when our young pilots flew by Guam in two planes. We exchanged smiles with our counterparts who flew up from a U.S. carrier and returned home." However, the Pentagon denied that any aircraft were sent up, saying that the proximity of the bombers was not close enough to prompt a response from the carriers.

• 17 August 2007 — two RAF Eurofighter Typhoons were launched to intercept and shadow a Tu-95 that had veered towards British airspace over the North Sea. The Tu-95 later turned away from UK airspace.

• 5 September 2007 — six Russian bombers were intercepted by six F-15s from Elmendorf Air Force Base, about 50 miles from the northwest coast of Alaska.

• 6 September 2007 — Two Norwegian F-16s tracked eight Tu-95s over the Barents Sea as they neared Norwegian airspace. The bombers flew past Norway and continued towards British airspace where four RAF Tornados were scrambled from RAF Leeming (in two waves of two), before the Russian planes turned away. It was the same day that Canadian Forces' CF-18s and Russian Tu-95s met outside Canadian airspace near Inuvik, Northwest Territories. The CF-18s were scrambled when Tu-95s were seen flying outside Canadian airspace.

• 22 November 2007 — F-22A Raptors of the 90th fighter squadron performed their first intercept of two Russian Tu-95MS 'Bear-H' bombers in Alaska. This was the first time that F-22s had been called to support a NORAD mission.

• 9 February 2008 — 24 aircraft including F-15 Eagles and an E-767 AWAC from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force scrambled and gave "a notice, then a warning and another notice and a warning," as a Russian Tu-95MS 'Bear-H' violated the country's airspace during a three-minute flyover of Sofugan in the Izu Islands. Japan formally issued a strong protest, demanded prevention of future incidents and presented a protest note to the Russian Embassy in Tokyo. Russian officials conversely stated that four Tupolev Tu-95 bombers completed a 10-hour mission over the Pacific on Saturday, but "our strategic aviation planes did not violate Japanese airspace."

• 9 February 2008 — in the Western Pacific, a Russian Tu-95 flew over the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz twice, at a low altitude of about 610 m (2,000 ft), while another bomber circled about 93 km (58 mi) out. Four American F/A-18 fighters from the carrier were scrambled and tracked the bombers.

• 5 March 2008 — Off the eastern coast of South Korea, a Russian Tu-95 flew over Nimitz and was intercepted by two F/A-18 Hornets at an altitude of 610 m (2,000 ft) at a distance of about 5–8 km (3-5 mi). Four South Korean F-16s were also scrambled to intercept the bomber.

• 26 March 2008 — Off the coast of Alaska, Two U.S. Air Force F-15s escorted two Russian "Bear" long-range bombers out of an air exclusion zone.

• 24 April 2008 — Two Tu-95 bombers from Engels-2, along with two Il-78 refueling aircraft, were escorted by NATO Tornados and F-16s over the Atlantic. One inflight refueling was witnessed during the escort.

• 13 May 2008 — Two Tu-95 bombers from Ukrainka air base conducted a 20 hour patrol over the Arctic Ocean, and were at one point refueled by Il-78 refueling aircraft. NORAD tracked the bombers as they entered the Canadian Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). CF-18s intercepted and confirmed their identity as the bombers headed towards the Alaskan airspace.

• 27 January 2009 — Two Tu-95 flew patrol over the Arctic Ocean and near Alaska. They were accompanied by four USAF F-15 fighters for about 10 minutes.

• 4 February 2009 — Two Tu-95MS were intercepted by two RDAF F-16 fighters when approaching Danish airspace.

• 18 February 2009 — Two Tu-95MS were intercepted by two CF-18 fighters when approaching Canadian Arctic airspace.

• 25 march 2009 — Two Tu-95MS were intercepted by two RDAF F-16 fighters when approaching Icelandic airspace.

Present and future status

A Tu-95 performs a fly-over with an Ilyushin Il-78 and 2 Mikoyan MiG-29 simulating air-to-air refuelling at the Victory Day Parade in Moscow on 9 May 2008.

All Tu-95s now in Russian service are the Tu-95MS variant, built in the 1980s and 1990s. On August 18, 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Tu-95 patrols would resume after having been terminated 15 years prior.

Russian Tu-95s reportedly took part in a naval exercise off the coasts of France and Spain in January 2008, alongside Tu-22M3 Backfire strategic bombers and airborne early warning aircraft.

In October 2008, during a Russian military exercise code-named Stability-2008, Tu-95MS aircraft fired live air launched cruise missiles (ALCM) for the first time since 1984. The long range of the Raduga Kh-55 ALCM means the Tu-95MS Bears have been transformed once again into a formidable strategic weapons system.

Variants and Derivatives

An F-15C Eagle intercepting a Russian Tu-95MS off the west coast of Alaska on September 28, 2006

Tu-95RTs

• Tu-95/1 - Prototype.
• Tu-95/2 - Prototype.
• Tu-95K - Experimental version for air-dropping a MiG-19 SM-20 jet aircraft.
• Tu-95M-55 - Missile carrier.
• Tu-95N - Experimental version for air-dropping an RS ramjet powered aircraft.
• Tu-95LaL (Tu-119) - Experimental nuclear-powered aircraft project.
• Tu-96 - long-range intercontinental high-altitude strategic bomber prototype, a high-altitude version of the Tupolev Tu-95 aircraft with high-altitude augmented turboprop TV-16 engines and with new wing of enlarged area. Plant tests of the aircraft were performed with not high-altitude engines TV-12 in 1955-1956.[4]
• Tu-114 - Airliner derative of Tu-95.
• Tu-116 - Tu-95 fitted with passenger cabins as a stop-gap while the Tu-114 was being developed. Only 2 converted.
• Tu-95/Tu-95M - Basic variant of the long-range strategic bomber and the only model of the aircraft never fitted with a nose refuelling probe. Known to NATO as the Bear-A.
• Tu-95U - Uchebnyy - Training version. Known to NATO as the Bear-A.
• Tu-95K/Tu-95KD - Designed to carry the Raduga Kh-20 air-to-surface missile. The Tu-95KD aircraft were the first to be outfitted with nose probes. Known to NATO as the Bear-B.
• Tu-95KM - Modified and upgraded versions of the Tu-95K, most notable for their enhance reconnaissance systems. These were in turn converted into the Bear G configuration. Known to NATO as the Bear-C.
• Tu-95RTs - Razvedchik Tseleukazatel - Variant of the basic Bear A configuration, redesigned for maritime reconnaissance and targeting as well as electronic intelligence (ELINT) for service in the Soviet Naval Aviation. Known to NATO as the Bear-D.
• Tu-95MR - Bear A modified for photo-reconnaissance and produced for Naval Aviation. Known to NATO as the Bear-E.
• Tu-95K22 - Conversions of the older Bear bombers, reconfigured to carry the Raduga Kh-22 missile and incorporating modern avionics. Known to NATO as the Bear-G.
• Tu-126 - Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) derivative of Tu-114, itself derived from the Tu-95
• Tu-142 - Maritime reconnaissance/anti-submarine warfare derivative of Tu-95
• Tu-95MS/Tu-95MS6/Tu-95MS16 - Completely new cruise missile carrier platform based on the Tu-142 airframe. This variant became the launch platform of the Raduga Kh-55 cruise missile. Known to NATO as the Bear-H and was referred to by the U.S. military as a Tu-142 for some time in the 1980s before its true designation became known.
• Tu-95U - Training variant, modified from surviving Bear A's but now all have been retired. Known to NATO as the Bear-T.

Several other modification of the basic Tu-95/Tu-142 airframe have existed, but these were largely unrecognized by Western intelligence or else never reached operational status within the Soviet military. One of these modified Bears, known as the Tu-95V, was used to drop the Tsar Bomba.

Operators

Right view of the Tupolev Tu-95

Current

Russia

• Russian Air Force - 64 Tu-95MS Strategic bombers.

India

• Indian Navy - 10 Tu-142M Strategic bombers.

Former

Ukraine

• Ukrainian Air Force - Retired from service.

Soviet Union

• Soviet Air Force, Long Range Aviation - Passed on to Russia and Ukraine.

The first Tu-95 division, 106th TBAD (Heavy Bomber Air Division), was formed in 1956. The division commander was twice Hero of the Soviet Union A.G. Molodchi. The 106th TBAD incorporated the 409th TBAP (Heavy Bomber Air Regiment ) (commander — Colonel M.M. Charitonov) which was raised late in 1956 and the 1006th TBAP (commander — Colonel V.P. Pavlov) raised in 1956. The 106th TBAD's base was Uzin near Kiev. The 1223rd TBAP in Semipalatinsk, under the command of Hero of the Soviet Union colonel V.M. Bezbokov, was raised in 1957, within the 79th Air Division (commander — twice Hero of the Soviet Union General Major M.P. Taran). The 1223rd TBAP's targets were the north of the USA and Canada.

• Soviet Naval Aviation -

Specifications (Tu-95MS)

Orthographic projection of the Tupolev Tu-95.

Orthographic projection of the Tupolev Tu-95.

General characteristics

• Crew: 7 - 2 pilots, 1 tailgunner, 4 others

Performance Armament

• Radar-controlled Guns: 1 or 2 × 23 mm AM-23 cannon in tail turret
• Missiles: Up to 15,000 kg (33,000 lb), including the Kh-20, Kh-22, Kh-26, and Kh-55 air-to-surface missiles

See also

• Tupolev Tu-160

Related development

• Tupolev Tu-114
• Tupolev Tu-116
• Tupolev Tu-119
• Tupolev Tu-126
• Tupolev Tu-142

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• B-52 Stratofortress

Related lists

• List of bomber aircraft
• List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS

External links

• "Bears prowl the Atlantic skies" video report from Russia Today