Tu-95
Tu-95MR
Type	Strategic bomber, missile carrier, airborne surveillance
Manufacturer	Tupolev
Maiden flight	12 November 1952
Introduced	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 (Туполев Ту–95) (NATO reporting name Bear) is the most successful and longest-serving Tupolev strategic bomber and missile carrier built by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. A strategic bomber is a heavy type Aircraft designed to drop large amounts of ordnance onto a distant target for the purposes of debilitating an enemy's An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing building testing selling and maintaining Aircraft, Aircraft parts Tupolev ( Туполев) is a Russian aerospace and defence company headquartered in Moscow. The maiden flight of an Aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 The Soviet Air Force, also known under the abbreviation VVS, transliterated from Russian: ВВС, Военно-воздушные силы ( Voenno-Vozdushnye The Soviet Navy ( Russian: Военно-морской флот СССР Voyenno-morskoy flot SSSR, literally "Naval military forces of the USSR" was The Russian Air Force ( Russian: Военно-воздушные cилы России transliteration: Voyenno-vozdushnye sily Rossii) is the air force WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The '''Tupolev Tu-119''' (Tu-95LAL was a modified Tupolev Tu-95 Soviet Bomber aircraft which began testing in 1965 to see if the use of a Nuclear WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Tupolev ( Туполев) is a Russian aerospace and defence company headquartered in Moscow. NATO reporting names are unclassified Code names for military equipment of the Eastern Bloc ( Soviet Union and other nations of the Warsaw pact A bomber is a Military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets primarily by dropping Bombs on them The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the

The Tu-95 is still in service, as of 2008, and is expected to remain in service with the Russian Air Force until at least 2040. ^[1] The Tu-95 is powered by four Kuznetsov NK-12 turboprop engines, each driving contra-rotating propellers, and remains the fastest propeller-driven aircraft to go into operational use. Kuznetsov ( OKB-276) was a Soviet design bureau for Aircraft engines led by Nikolai Dmitriyevich Kuznetsov. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout A turboprop engine is a type of aircraft powerplant that uses a Gas turbine engine to drive a Propeller. Contra-rotating propellers, also referred to as coaxial contra-rotating propellers, apply the maximum power of a single piston or Turboprop engine A propeller is essentially a type of fan which transmits power by converting Rotational motion into Thrust for propulsion of a vehicle such as an Its wings are swept back at 35 degrees, a very sharp angle by the standards of propeller-driven aircraft. A swept-wing is a wing Planform common on high-speed Aircraft, with the wing swept back instead of being set at right angles to the Fuselage.

To date, it remains the only turboprop-powered strategic bomber to have entered operational service. A naval development of the bomber is designated Tu-142. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

Contents 1 Design and development 2 Operational history 2.1 Cold War icon 2.2 Encounters in the air 2.3 Present and future status 3 Variants 4 Operators 4.1 Current 4.2 Former 5 Specifications (Tu-95MS) 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

Design and development

The design bureau led by Andrei Tupolev designed the Soviet Union's first intercontinental bomber, the 1949 Tu-85, it was a scaled up version of the Tu-4, a B-29 Superfortress copy. Andrei Nikolayevich Tupolev (Андрей Николаевич Туполев November 10 1888 &ndash December 23 1972 was a pioneering Soviet Aircraft designer WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Tu-85 was deemed to be inadequate against the new generation of American all-weather interceptors. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A new requirement was issued to both Tupolev and Myasishchev design bureaus in 1950, it had to have an un-refuelled range of 8000km (4,970 miles), far enough to threaten key targets in the United States. Other goals included the ability to carry a 11000kg (24,250lb) load over the target. The big problem for Tupolev was the engine choice, the first generation jet engines had a large fuel consumption and turboprops gave a better range. Also in a parallel race to build an intercontinental bomber was Boeing, but the recently developed J57 enabled the B-52 Stratofortress to be jet-powered. The Boeing Company is a major Aerospace and defense corporation originally founded by William E The Myasischev bureau decided to use early jet engines. Tupolev decided to work on the problems with high-speed turboprops for the new bomber now designated the Tu-95.

With eight-bladed contra-rotating propellers the engine that emerged was the Kuznetsov NK-12 with a nominal 12,000 eshp (8948kW) power rating. Although the engine was advanced, the fuselage design was conventional: it was low-wing cantilever monoplane with 35 degrees of sweep. The angle ensured that the main wing spar passed though the fuselage in front of the bomb bay. It had a retractable tricycle landing gear, with the main gear retracting rearwards. The first aircraft flew in 1953. Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

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. The Soviet Air Force, also known under the abbreviation VVS, transliterated from Russian: ВВС, Военно-воздушные силы ( Voenno-Vozdushnye 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.

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). WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout 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. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the

Development of the turboprop powered Tu-95 began in the 1950s as an intercontinental bomber when the Tu-4 showed that piston engines were not powerful enough to fulfill that role, and the AM-3 jet engines of the proposed T-4 intercontinental jet bomber did not provide it with enough range. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout A reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is a Heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating Pistons to convert ^[2]

The Tu-95 development was officially approved by the government on 11 July 1951, resulting in the test of the first prototype 95/1 on 12 November 1952. Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Series production of the airplane started in January 1956.

Initially the United States Department of Defense did not take the Tu-95 seriously, as estimates showed it had a maximum speed of 400 mph (644 km/h) with a range of 7,800 miles (12,500 km). The United States Department of Defense ( DOD or DoD) is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government ^[3] These numbers had to be revised upward numerous times.

Operational history

Cold War icon

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. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout 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 fuselage (from the French fuselé "spindle-shaped" is an Aircraft 's main body section that holds crew and passengers or Cargo The US Navy placed high priority in intercepting the Tu-95RT aircraft at least two hundred miles from the carrier with its F-14 Tomcat interceptors, which would then escort the Tu-95. On occasion, USN Tomcats demonstrated an ability to intercept Tu-95RT aircraft at ranges up to 1,000 miles from the fighters' carrier battle group.

During interceptions Tu-95 tail gunners typically kept their twin cannon pointed upwards as to not antagonize the intercepting fighters. Tail Gunner is a monochrome vector arcade game created by Vectorbeam in 1979 Similarly, NATO rules of engagement for interceptions restricted aircrews from locking onto the Tu-95 with fire control radars 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 Kola Peninsula (from Sami language Guoládat) (Кольский полуостров Kol'skij poluostrov) is a Peninsula in the far

The Tu-95 dropped the Tsar Bomba in 1961. Tsar Bomba (ru Царь-бомба literally " King Bomb" is the Western name for the RDS-220 hydrogen bomb (codenamed "Иван" (Ivan by its

Encounters in the air

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. The North Atlantic Treaty

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, especially with the SEPECAT Jaguar. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout 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 collided with a Tu-95 while escorting it out of Norwegian airspace. The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF ( Norwegian: Luftforsvaret) is the Air force of Norway. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional 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. Wingtip vortices are tubes of circulating air which are left behind by the Wing as it generates lift. 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 of 1999, the Tu-95s, along with two Tu-160s, turned back after being intercepted by U. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout S. fighters. A similar incident occurred in September but the Tu-95s turned back without making contact.

Encounters after 2000

• April 2002 — two Tu-95 Bear H aircraft flew within 37 miles of Alaska, and were intercepted by two F-15s. April holidays and events National Poetry Month - in United States National Sexual Assault Awareness Month - in United See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent ^[4]

• 29 January 2004 — a Tu-95 flew over the USS Kitty Hawk in the Sea of Japan. Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " 1961 to 1964 Following a shakedown in the Western Atlantic, Kitty Hawk departed Norfolk on 11 August 1961. The Sea of Japan is a Marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, bordered by Japan, Korea, North Korea and Russia

• 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. Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake, commonly referred to as CFB Cold Lake, is a Canadian Forces Base located adjacent to the city of Cold Lake, Alberta Alberta (ælˈbɝtə is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1 1905 " This launch was a result of the bombers penetrating the North American Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). An air defense identification zone ( ADIZ) is an area of airspace defined by a nation within which "the ready identification the location and the control of aircraft are ^[5]

• 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. MAY ( also known as: Mei メイ 메이 is a Korean singer well known in South Korea for singing the song "Miracle" Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout RAF Leuchars is the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) ^[6]

• 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. Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Bodø Main Air Station (Norwegian Bodø hovedflystasjon is situated just outside Bodø, Norway and is the largest air station in Norway operated RAF Leeming is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire, UK. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland ^[7][8]

• August 2007 — two Tu-95s flew towards the U. Other names In Arabic, the month is called أغسطسص ʾUġusṭuṣ or آب ʾĀb; usage varies from place to place and Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. S. base on Guam, where they were intercepted by U. Guam ( Chamorro: cha Guåhån) officially the Territory of Guam, is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized unincorporated 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. "^[9][10] 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. ^[11]

• 17 August 2007 — two RAF Typhoons were launched to intercept and shadow a Tu-95 that had veered towards British airspace over the North Sea. Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Airspace means the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a particular country on top of its territory and Territorial waters or more generally any specific three-dimensional The North Sea is a marginal, Epeiric sea of the Atlantic Ocean on the European Continental shelf. The Tu-95 later turned away from UK airspace. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located ^[12]

• 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. Events 1590 - Alexander Farnese 's army forces Henry IV of France to raise the siege of Paris. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Elmendorf Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base adjacent to Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska. ^[13]

• 6 September 2007 — Two Norwegian F-16s tracked eight Tu-95s over the Barents Sea^[14] as they neared Norwegian airspace. Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Barents Sea (Barentshavet Баренцево море is a part of the Arctic Ocean located north of Norway and Russia. 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. ^[15] It was the same day that Canadian Forces' CF-18s and Russian Tu-95s met outside Canadian airspace near Inuvik, Northwest Territories. The Canadian Forces (CF ( French: Forces canadiennes) are the unified Armed forces of Canada, governed by the National Defence WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Inuvik, (place of man is a town in the Northwest Territories of Canada and is the administrative centre for the Inuvik Region. The CF-18s were scrambled when Tu-95s were seen flying outside Canadian airspace. ^[16]

• 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. Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. This was the first time that F-22s had been called to support a NORAD mission. ^[17][18]

• 9 February 2008 — 24 aircraft including F-15 Eagles and an E-767 AWAC from the Japanese air force scrambled and gave "a notice, then a warning and another a 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. Events 474 - Zeno crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The are a group of Volcanic Islands stretching south and east from the Izu Peninsula of Honshū, Japan. 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. " ^[19][20][21]

• 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 2,000 feet, while another bomber circled about 58 miles out. Events 474 - Zeno crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Ship's history The USS Nimitz was first deployed to the Mediterranean in 1976 in company with the nuclear powered Cruisers USS ''South Carolina'' Four American F/A-18 fighters from the carrier were scrambled and tracked the bombers. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout ^[22][23]

• 5 March 2008 — Off the eastern coast of South Korea, a Russian Tu-95 or Tu-142 flew over USS Nimitz and was intercepted by two F/A-18 Hornets at an altitude of 2,000 feet at a distance of about 3-5 miles. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː Ship's history The USS Nimitz was first deployed to the Mediterranean in 1976 in company with the nuclear powered Cruisers USS ''South Carolina'' Four South Korean F-16s were also scrambled to intercept the bomber. ^[24][25]

• 26 March 2008 — Off the coast of Alaska, Two U. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent S. Air Force F-15s escorted two Russian Bear long-range bombers out of an air exclusion zone. ^[26]

• 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. Events 1479 BC - Thutmose III ascends to the throne of Egypt, although power effectively shifts to Hatshepsut (according to 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Engels-2 (also given as Engel's, Engels', or Zngyelse) is a strategic air base in Russia located 14 km east of Saratov. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout One inflight refueling was witnessed during the escort. ^[27]

• 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. Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common For the Ukrainian poet and writer see Lesya Ukrainka. Ukrainka (also given as Ookrainka and Seryshevo) is one The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout ^[28][29] 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.

Present and future status

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. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (; born 7 October 1952 in Leningrad, USSR; now Saint Petersburg, Russia was the second President of Russia ^[30]

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. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout ^[31]

Variants

• Tu-95/1 - Prototype. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
• 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-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. [1]
• Tu-119 - Nuclear powered aircraft project; it did not fly. The '''Tupolev Tu-119''' (Tu-95LAL was a modified Tupolev Tu-95 Soviet Bomber aircraft which began testing in 1965 to see if the use of a Nuclear

• Tu-95/Tu-95M (Bear A) - Basic variant of the long-range strategic bomber and the only model of the aircraft never fitted with a nose refuelling probe.
• Tu-95U - Uchebnyy (Bear-A) - Training version.
• Tu-95K/Tu-95KD (Bear B) - Designed to carry the AS-3 Kangaroo air-to-surface missile. The Raduga Kh-20 was a Cruise missile armed with a Nuclear warhead which was developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. An air-to-surface missile (also air-to-ground missile, AGM, ASM or ATGM) is a Missile designed to be launched from Military The Tu-95KD aircraft were the first to be outfitted with nose probes.
• Tu-95KM (Bear C) - Modified and upgraded versions of the Bear B, most notable for their enhance reconnaissance systems. These were in turn converted into the Bear G configuration.
• Tu-95RTs (Bear D) - 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. Soviet Naval Aviation ( Авиация военно-морского флота in Russian, or Aviatsiya Voenno-Morskogo Flota, literally "aviation
• Tu-95MR (Bear E) - Bear A modified for photo-reconnaissance and produced for Naval Aviation. Reconnaissance (also scouting) is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information
• Tu-95K22 (Bear G) - Conversions of the older Bear bombers, reconfigured to carry the AS-4 Kitchen missile and incorporating modern avionics. The Raduga Kh-22 ( NATO reporting name AS-4 ' Kitchen') is a large long-range Anti-ship missile developed by the Soviet Union.
• Tu-95MS/Tu-95MS6/Tu-95MS16 (Bear H) - Completely new cruise missile carrier platform based on the Tu-142 airframe. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout This variant became the launch platform of the Kh-55 (AS-15 Kent) cruise missile. The Raduga Kh-55 Granat (Х-55 Гранат ( Granat) NATO reporting name AS-15 ' Kent') is a Soviet / The Raduga Kh-55 Granat (Х-55 Гранат ( Granat) NATO reporting name AS-15 ' Kent') is a Soviet / A cruise missile is a guided Missile that carries an explosive payload and uses a lifting wing and a propulsion system usually a Jet engine, to allow The Bear-H 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 (Bear T) - Training variant, modified from surviving Bear A's but now all have been retired.

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. Tsar Bomba (ru Царь-бомба literally " King Bomb" is the Western name for the RDS-220 hydrogen bomb (codenamed "Иван" (Ivan by its

Operators

Current

 Russia

• Russian Air Force - 64 Tu-95MS Strategic bombers. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Russian Air Force ( Russian: Военно-воздушные cилы России transliteration: Voyenno-vozdushnye sily Rossii) is the air force

Former

 Ukraine

• Ukrainian Air Force - Retired from service. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. The Ukrainian Air Force (Повітряні Сили України Povitryani Syly Ukrayiny) is a part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

 Soviet Union

• Soviet Air Force, Long Range Aviation - Passed on to Russia and Ukraine. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Soviet Air Force, also known under the abbreviation VVS, transliterated from Russian: ВВС, Военно-воздушные силы ( Voenno-Vozdushnye Long Range Aviation (Дальняя Авиация Dalnaya Aviatsiya, or ru ДА DA) was the branch of the Soviet Air Force tasked with long-range bombardment

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. ^[32] 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)

General characteristics

• Crew: Seven - two pilots, one tailgunner, four others
• Length: 49. Soviet Naval Aviation ( Авиация военно-морского флота in Russian, or Aviatsiya Voenno-Morskogo Flota, literally "aviation 50 m (162 ft 5 in)
• Wingspan: 51. The wingspan (or just span) of an airplane or a Bird, is the distance from the left wingtip to the right wingtip 10 m (167 ft 8 in)
• Height: 12. 12 m (39 ft 9 in)
• Wing area: 310 m² (3,330 ft²)
• Empty weight: 90,000 kg (198,000 lb)
• Loaded weight: 171,000 kg (376,200 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 188,000 kg (414,500 lb)
• Powerplant: 4× Kuznetsov NK-12MV turboprops, 11,000 kW (14,800 shp)^[33] each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 725 km/h (402 kt, 453 mph)
• Range: 15,000 km (8,100 nm, 9,400 mi)
• Service ceiling 12,000 m (39,000 ft)
• Rate of climb: 10 m/s (2,000 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 606 kg/m² (124 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 235 W/kg (0. The Maximum Takeoff Weight or Maximum Takeoff Mass of an Aircraft is the maximum weight at which the pilot of the aircraft is allowed to attempt to take off Kuznetsov ( OKB-276) was a Soviet design bureau for Aircraft engines led by Nikolai Dmitriyevich Kuznetsov. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout A turboprop engine is a type of aircraft powerplant that uses a Gas turbine engine to drive a Propeller. In Aviation, V-speeds or Velocity-speeds are standard terms used to define Airspeeds important or useful to the operation of Aircraft, such The maximal total range is the distance an Aircraft can fly between Takeoff and Landing, as limited by fuel capacity in powered aircraft or cross-country In Aeronautics, a ceiling is the maximum Density altitude an aircraft can reach under a set of conditions In Aerodynamics, the rate of climb RoC is the speed at which an Aircraft increases its Altitude. In Aerodynamics, wing loading is the loaded weight of the aircraft divided by the area of the wing Power-to-weight ratio (specific power is a calculation commonly applied to Engines and other mobile power sources to enable the comparison of one unit or design to another 143 hp/lb)

Armament

• Radar-controlled Guns: 1 or 2× AM-23 23 mm 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-119
• Tupolev Tu-126
• Tupolev Tu-142
  

Comparable aircraft

• B-52 Stratofortress
  

Related lists

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

References

External links

• "Bears prowl the Atlantic skies" video report from Russia Today
• Interception Pics from the Cold War

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