The B-52 and Tu-160 strategic bombers, developed in the mid-20th century, are still in service. They are timeless. Both aircraft repeatedly participated in combat operations.

During the Cold War era, the United States and the Soviet Union spent several decades intimidating each other with the threat of destroying the enemy with nuclear weapons. The efforts of millions of people and countless funds were spent on the development and deployment of weapons systems equipped with the most modern technologies, to ensure the complete destruction of the enemy state in the event that the Cold War becomes hot.

During this arms race, both sides developed bombers capable of crossing oceans and continents to drop nuclear bombs directly on enemy territory. Subsequently, when this became impossible due to the improvement of air defense systems, missiles began to be placed on these aircraft to be launched as close as possible to the target. It seems incredible that some of these engineering marvels from the 1950s to 1970s are still flying today, 26 years after their collapse. Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War they were designed to fight.

The grandchildren of their first pilots sit at the controls of some aircraft, and these devices do not lose their effectiveness. They are being modernized so as not to be removed from service, for example, the American B-52 or the Russian Tu-95 (Bear - “Bear” according to NATO classification), or their production is being resumed to produce new models, in particular, the Russian Tu-160. The giants of the Cold War will remain with us for a long time long years, some of them will last more than a hundred years, which is an eternity for an airplane.

Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

The contract for the development of the B-52 strategic bomber was concluded in 1946, the first flight of this device took place on April 15, 1952, and in 1955 it was put into service with the US Air Force. After 62 years, this modernized and modified aircraft continues to fly and participate in combat operations. The B-52 Stratofortress (flying fortress) was developed as an intercontinental jet bomber carrying unguided nuclear bombs to attack cities and strategically important infrastructure of the USSR.

© RIA Novosti, Skrynnikov

Nuclear bombs were never dropped from these aircraft, which were used for operational and tactical purposes in all armed conflicts involving the United States, starting in 1965 - the Vietnam War. But they dropped thousands of tons of uncontrollable and guided bombs with a conventional charge, and now they continue to roam the skies, sometimes piloted by the grandchildren of their first commanders. Among themselves, the pilots call this bomber Buff. This is an acronym formed from the words Big Ugly Fat Fucker (big, ugly, fat guy).

Aircraft length - 48.5 meters, wingspan - 56.4 meters, wing area - 370 square meters. The height of the vertical stabilizer is 12.4 meters, the empty weight of the aircraft is 83.25 tons, the maximum take-off weight is 220 tons, which allows it to carry 31.5 thousand kilograms of weapons and 181 thousand liters of fuel.

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The bomber has swept wings (sweep angle 35 degrees), from which hang four twin compartments with TF-33 turbojet engines manufactured by Pratt & Whitney. The device can reach a maximum speed of 1046 km/h (650 mph or Mach 0.86). The maximum flight range without air refueling is 14 thousand kilometers (ferry range is more than 16 thousand kilometers), but with air refueling maximum range flight depends on the endurance of the crew. The plane can fly at altitudes of up to 15.24 thousand meters. The crew consists of five people (commander, co-pilot, navigator, radio operator-gunner and electronics engineer), although sometimes it also included gunners to fire from anti-aircraft guns, taken from the device in its latest modifications.

B-52 designed for transport large mass bomb load, is equipped with a large internal cargo compartment and four underwing weapons suspension systems, thanks to which the vehicle can carry various types unguided and guided bombs (nuclear, cluster and conventional), as well as air-to-surface missiles designed to strike both ground and surface targets, mines, systems electronic jamming with a total weight of up to 31.5 tons. A total of 744 aircraft were built in eight modifications (from A to H), the last aircraft left the factory floor on October 26, 1962.

As new models of the bomber were developed, its design and the electronic equipment installed on board were improved, and the structure of the tail section was changed, including the location of the tail machine guns (which were later removed from the device). The aircraft were also equipped with new target designators and guidance systems. electronic warfare, modified engine models with higher power and lower fuel consumption. Currently, the US Air Force has about 70 B-52 bombers in full combat readiness, and another 20 are in reserve. All devices belong to modification H and have been modernized to extend their service life.

The first combat missions of these aircraft, originally developed to participate in nuclear war, became the so-called carpet bombings using unguided bombs with conventional charges (during the Vietnam War) similar to those used during World War II. Throughout the American Gulf War, B-52s carried out high-altitude bombing missions as well as low-altitude strikes, including missile strikes.

Today American strategic bombers used in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq as support aircraft high altitude using guided munitions. Due to their combat radius and high survivability, these vehicles are ideal “flying arsenals” for dropping guided bombs (laser-guided or GPS) on command from the ground. Equipping aircraft with the Litening module since 2007 has made it possible to use them to perform the above-mentioned tasks. In addition, the B-52 can be used for maritime patrols and can carry mines or Harpoon missiles. The speed and range of the bomber allows it to fly over vast areas during search operations.

During the B-52's long service, at least 11 aircraft were lost in crashes, including a B-52G that collided with a KC-135 Stratotanker over the Spanish village of Palomares, Almeria, on January 17, 1966. Four thermonuclear bombs aboard the bomber fell to the ground, causing radiation contamination terrain. Another 30 aircraft were lost during the Vietnam War: at least ten of them were shot down by the enemy, and five were so seriously damaged that they could hardly reach Allied airfields. In turn, the gunners of two B-52D aircraft shot down two MiG-21 fighters with their tail machine guns. Currently, the B-52 continues to fly combat missions in Syria and Iraq, striking the positions of terrorist groups, including " Islamic State"(organization banned in the Russian Federation - approx. Lane), and carry out flights for a “show of force” in areas of heightened international tension: the Baltic states, Eastern Europe or the South China Sea.

The last B-52 aircraft produced has been in service for 55 years and has tens of thousands of flight hours, but the aircraft's 1950s-style design and repeated upgrades and modifications allow them to remain in service for many years to come. This is precisely what the new proposal to replace the engines of American bombers, their weakest link, is aimed at. The US Air Force has requested about ten million dollars to conduct work to study replacement options. latest version TF-33 Pratt & Whitney engines to the most modern power plants, which should reduce aircraft operating costs (cost of flight hour, fuel consumption) and increase flight range.

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The cost of improving the B-52 bomber fleet, including rebuilding the cargo bay to allow it to be loaded. guided munitions, is $227 million. Between 2018 and 2020, it is expected to spend $1.34 billion on modernizing radar installations and equipping devices with new systems. The US Air Force intends to continue operating the Buffs until 2040, when the aircraft will be 100 years old. And he will continue to bomb.

Tu-160 " White Swan»

The Soviet equivalent of the American B-52 was essentially the swept-wing Tu-95 turboprop strategic bomber, designed to perform the same combat missions in the same era, which also continues to operate today. But more interesting example in terms of modernization, there is no doubt that the successor of this aircraft is the Tu-160 “White Swan” (Blackjack according to NATO classification). This aircraft belongs to the next generation of bombers, and it is truly worthy of respect.

The Tu-160, the development of which began on a competitive basis in 1972, was supposed to become a competitor American models XB-70 Valkyrie or B-1A, which were never fielded. As part of this mission, the Tupolev Design Bureau created a monster: the world's largest and heaviest combat aircraft with variable wing geometry, capable of reaching speeds twice the speed of sound, and the world's fastest bomber currently in service. All this was so expensive that today there are only 16 of these devices left that can be used. But they have such potential that Russian Ministry Defense plans to resume production of this aircraft.

By appearance The Tu-160 resembles an enlarged version of the American Rockwell B-1 Lancer. The Russian bomber has big sizes than its American counterpart (length - 54.1 meters compared to 44.5 meters; maximum wingspan - 55.7 meters compared to 41.8 meters), it is heavier (maximum take-off weight - 275 tons compared to 216 tons), faster ( maximum speed- Mach 2 compared to Mach 1.25), can carry more weapons in the cargo hold (40 tons compared to 34 tons). It was developed as a missile carrier, the cargo compartments are equipped with two drum launchers, each of which can carry six X-55 cruise missiles (with conventional and nuclear charges and a range of up to 2.5 thousand kilometers) or 12 X-15 aeroballistic hypersonic missiles (nuclear or anti-ship) short range(up to 300 kilometers).

The maximum flight range of the Tu-160 without in-flight refueling is 12.3 thousand kilometers, the combat radius is about 7 thousand kilometers, it is equipped with an aerial refueling receiver rod, which is used in in rare cases. Maximum height flight - 15 thousand meters. Although the aircraft was built without the use of Stealth technology, a number of design features reduce its radar signature, for example, compared to the B-52.

In April 1987, the 184th Guards Poltava-Berlin Red Banner Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment in Priluki (on the territory of the Ukrainian SSR) was equipped with Tu-160 bombers, but after the release of 36 devices, the collapse of the Soviet Union occurred, which affected future fate Tu-160.

After the USSR ceased to exist in 1991, Ukraine nationalized all Armed Forces located on its territory. At the airfield in Priluki there were 19 “White Swans”, which were appropriated by Ukraine, although most of the pilots and aircraft technicians chose to go to Russia.

In the 90s, these aircraft gradually failed due to the lack of necessary repair and restoration services. Russia and Ukraine were negotiating the possible sale of these aircraft. Ukraine did not need them, but the requested price (about $3 billion) was too high for Moscow. After much wrangling and disposal of one device under the agreement on nuclear disarmament The Ukrainian parties came to an agreement: taking into account the write-off of part of the gas purchase debt, Russia had to pay Ukraine $285 million for eight Tu-160s in the best condition, three Tu-95MS and 575 Kh-55M missiles. After the necessary training, from November 1999 to February 2001, the Tu-160s were relocated to a Russian airbase near the city of Engels Saratov region.

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The 121st Guards Sevastopol Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, based at the airfield near Engels, already had six Tu-160 aircraft, to which were added eight more bombers transferred by Ukraine, and several aircraft that were being completed by the Russian Ministry of Defense after the collapse of the USSR. After a number of plane crashes and the commissioning of new missile carriers, the Russian Air Force now has 16 Tu-160s (in the Tu-160M ​​modification), although it is believed that only 11 of them are in a state of full combat readiness. These devices carried out demonstration flights in South America(in 2008 in Venezuela and in 2013 in Colombia). In November 2015, Tu-160 bombers took part in hostilities for the first time, carrying out strikes cruise missiles on targets in Syria.

Considering the power and potential of these devices, it is not surprising that the Russian Ministry of Defense wanted to increase the Tu-160 fleet. An idea emerged to resume production of these aircraft (one aircraft every two to three years) and increase their number to 30 by 2030-2040. The missile carriers will be produced in the Tu-160M2 modification and, according to official data, will be equipped with 60% new components, including new power plants, which should increase the Tu-160’s flight range by approximately a thousand kilometers and flight altitude to 18 thousand meters.

It is planned to integrate the latest high-precision instruments into the aircraft’s on-board system, which will allow shooters to use “smart” ammunition, as well as radar systems and communications of the latest generation. Another important change will be the replacement of all Ukrainian-made equipment, since now, when relations between Russia and Ukraine are tense, its import is impossible. The resumption of production of the Tu-160 will slow down the implementation of the development program for the promising aviation complex long-range aviation (PAK DA), but will extend the service life of the device, which in this case can remain in service for more than 50 years. And then no one will be able to say that the “old people” are good for nothing.

InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial staff.

For Victory Day.

This airbase is located near the city of Engels in the Saratov region. It is home to strategic bombers. At the moment, only Russia and the United States possess these types of aircraft, capable of operating over vast distances and using nuclear weapon.

Here are Tu-95ms - turboprop strategic bomber, one of the symbols of the Cold War, as well as supersonic strategic bomber Tu-160- the largest in history military aviation supersonic aircraft.

Meet the Tu-95ms turboprop strategic bomber-missile carrier. This is the fastest propeller-driven aircraft, which has become a symbol of the Cold War. Also, it is the only turboprop bomber in the world adopted for service and mass-produced.

The bomber is called strategic, if it has a range of over 5,000 km and is capable of using nuclear weapons. On July 30, 2010, a world record for non-stop flight for aircraft of this class was set. The bombers flew about 30 thousand kilometers, over three oceans, refueling four times in the air.

Power and foundation strategic aviation Russia:

Each engine has two four-blade propellers:

Double-barreled aircraft cannon GSh-23. Effective firing range - 2 km:

In continuation of the traditions begun in domestic aviation in the 30s, some aircraft are assigned proper names. Tu-95MS is named after cities:

Tu-95ms cockpit:

The crew of 7 people is located in two pressurized cabins:

Tu-95 aircraft are equipped with NK-12 engines, which are still the most powerful turboprop engines in the world. The screws have a diameter of 5.6 meters - this is larger than the diameter of a standard Moscow metro tunnel!

Extraordinarily impressive! Tu-95 is one of the noisiest aircraft in the world, but this is not critical when launching nuclear missile strikes:

Tu-95ms are preparing to take off. The powerful roar of turboprop engines spreads across the takeoff field:

When such a car takes off, flying tens of meters away from you, such childish and sincere delight appears that you want to scream and jump for joy. There is no way to convey this in a photograph:

The turned on bow spotlights are needed to scare away birds that perceive two lights as the eyes of a predator.

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The highlight of today's program is the Tu-160 supersonic strategic missile-carrying bomber with variable wing sweep:

Wing span - 55.7 meters, maximum take-off weight - 275 tons, maximum speed - 2,230 km/h:

The total engine power at afterburner is more than 100,000 hp. With.:

Russian pilots nicknamed this aircraft the “white swan” for its reliability, beauty and grace. The Americans gave it another name - “Black Jack” - for its invulnerability to air defense systems and the ability to deliver a surprise strike. White Swan:

A total of 35 such aircraft have been produced since 1984. The cost of one is about 7.5 billion rubles.

The ups are amazing. You feel the sound and vibration of their engines with your whole body, and then you are blown away by a warm gust of air mixed with the smell of kerosene. (Clickable, 1600 x 1000 px):

Until the advent of the era of jet aviation, and this was almost half a century of combat aviation, the aircraft directly depended on the span of its wings. The “shoulder width” of the airplane also had one more significant advantage - with the advent of suspended weapons, the ability of equipment to carry a deadly load was radically revised. The world's best bombers went down in history as giants whose huge wings blocked the sun from the enemy, causing terror before the bombs began to fall.

1

In 1941, the American military decided that if Britain, this “natural aircraft carrier,” was occupied, they would need a giant bomber capable of reaching the Nazis across the Atlantic. Later, thanks to 70 m wings and a flight ceiling of 15 km, the “Peacemaker” at the very least threatened the USSR, carrying in its belly nuclear charges. Interesting fact– The Convair B-36 served as the prototype for the nuclear powered aircraft power plant, but the experiment failed.

2

Holder of two rather controversial records at once - the heaviest aircraft of the Second World War and the largest aircraft, destroyed in the course of it. The Blohm & Voss BV 238 was a gigantic experimental flying boat with a wingspan of 60 m, capable of carrying bombs and torpedoes or delivering saboteurs to their destinations immediately with light equipment. Fell in unequal battle against 6 British fighters.

3

In the years Cold War Boeing engineers were given a practical task - to create a bomber that could deliver 2 thermonuclear bombs to any point in the USSR. They went further and their reserves were enough not only for the entire 20th century; various modifications of the B-52 are planned to remain in service until 2040. The wingspan of the “superfortress” reaches 56 m and it can carry 31.5 tons of bomb load.

4

“Product 70”, aka “Blackjack”, aka “White Swan” - an aircraft with the most long list well-deserved titles in the history of bomber aviation. The wing of this giant jet is built on the principle of variable sweep, its length varies from 55 to 50 m. Tu-160 aircraft became the primary target of the Western military and barely survived the collapse of the socialist empire in which they were created. There are only 16 such machines left in the world, but there are plans to increase their number to at least 50.

5

Stealth bomber, the first production aircraft in this category and probably the last. The reason is prosaic - the price tag of $1.157 billion makes it the most expensive flying vehicle in history. This is tens of times more expensive than the average flight into space with a payload, while the 52nd “flying wing” has rather contradictory flight characteristics. Each of the 21 B-2 Spirit aircraft has its own name dedicated to individual US states.

6 M-4

The aircraft was created as a competitor to two that would later become legendary bombers, the Soviet Tu-95 and the American B-52. Thanks to the turbojet engines pressed to the fuselage, its wings were “aerodynamically clean” and spread out over 50 m. The model turned out to be very unlucky, during testing it constantly attracted trouble and reaped a sad harvest of human casualties. Ultimately, the requirements were lowered and the M4 was converted into a tanker.

7

IN popular culture The aircraft is often confused with its predecessor, the B-17, the dominant bomber of World War II. Their winged hordes wiped out German cities from the face of the earth and caused man-made destruction. fire tornado in Dresden. The achievements of the Boeing B-29 are much more modest - they dropped “Little Boy” on Hiroshima and “Fat Man” on Nagasaki, carrying out the first ever atomic bombing. A strategic bomber with a wingspan of 43 m was ideal for this purpose.

8

The brainchild of the concept of a high-speed breakthrough of enemy air defense at ultra-low altitudes, bending around the terrain - complete opposite classic bombing from above. The B-1 has a variable sweep wing with a span of 41 m, which allows it to dive at twice the speed of sound. And 34 tons of various bombs and missiles turn it into a symbol of American war machine- these aircraft participated in all major wars since the end of the last century.

9

Flying boat Imperial Navy Japan, part-time - a naval strategic bomber with a wingspan of 38 m. The H8K was well adapted for aquatic environment and carried an impressive 2 tons of bombs for those times, but when the time came to bomb Pearl Harbor, both sent planes missed in disgrace due to fog. After this, the giant was primarily sent on long-range reconnaissance missions, fortunately, the fuel supply allowed, and the airfield served the entire ocean.

10

A strategic supersonic bomber capable of hunting aircraft carriers, destroying an entire tank column with one blow, evading fighters, or pouring 24 tons of deadly gifts from ringing heights onto a careless enemy. In reality, it was almost impossible to fight the Tu-22M, but it became a kind of testing ground - the first domestic on-board computers were tested on these aircraft. One of the few heavyweights in the world with variable wing geometry, which spanned 34 m.

Supersonic strategic missile-carrying bomber Tu-160 and Su-27 fighter / Photo: Global Look Press

Russian bomber pilots say: “When the enemy sees us, it’s too late to pray.” True, with the advent precision weapons The carrier aircraft may not be seen - in Syria, for example, frontline aviation operates from altitudes of 5-6 kilometers without compromising accuracy. Aircraft Long-Range Aviation X-101 cruise missiles can generally be fired without leaving Russian airspace - where needed, the missile will fly itself. We offer a story about the most outstanding Russian bombers.

Su-34

Unlike its predecessors, frontline bomber The Su-34 is capable of not only destroying ground targets, but also standing up for itself in air combat. At the tips of the aircraft's wings there are containers with Khibiny electronic warfare stations - they cover the aircraft with an electronic cloud, making it invisible to enemy radars, and fool the homing heads anti-aircraft missiles. The Khibiny missiles proved their effectiveness in April 2014 by shutting down the combat control system of the American destroyer Donald Cook in the Black Sea. For close combat, a 30mm cannon is hidden in the nose.

The flight range and speed of the Su-34 have been increased to 4,000 km and 1,900 km/h, respectively; the aircraft can carry up to eight tons of combat load. Working conditions for the crew have been significantly improved: a spacious cabin, convenient controls, multifunctional digital indicators instead of many dial gauges. They enter the cabin from below, which is much more convenient, for example, in the rain. In the Su-24, pilots climbed over the top, folding down the canopies, and in bad weather or snow, their seats ended up wet. “Foreign car,” the pilots praise the new plane.

The sighting and navigation system allows you to use weapons from safe heights without entering the enemy’s air defense coverage area. However, the weapon itself does not necessarily have to be highly accurate. One clever subsystem of the Su-34 on-board computer takes into account a lot of factors: altitude, speed, wind direction, Atmosphere pressure and much more, ultimately giving the optimal release point. With such automation, even old soviet bombs, not equipped with any electronics, hit the target from sky-high heights.

Tu-22

The Tu-22 long-range supersonic bomber with variable sweep wings is designed to destroy aircraft carriers: targeted or massed, that is, together with escort ships. To achieve this, the Tu-22 is capable of carrying up to three Kh-22 Burya cruise missiles. The missiles are also supersonic, long range. They fly at speeds of up to five thousand kilometers per hour, delivering thermonuclear warheads with a megaton capacity. In principle, one “Storm” is enough to destroy any aircraft carrier order, but in aviation they are used to doing everything with a reserve.

When used over land, the bomber carries four hypersonic missiles X-15 for the destruction of important stationary targets with previously known coordinates. X-15 flies ballistic trajectory: climbs to a height of up to 40 kilometers, and then dives at the target at a speed of over five thousand kilometers per hour. Basic combat unit Nuclear missiles with a power of up to 300 kilotons. There is a version for destroying air defense system radars; it is guided by target radiation.

The Russian Air Force currently operates the Tu-22M3. This is the third generation of a bomber developed half a century ago: from the first models, only the front landing gear and part of the cargo compartment, which contains a missile half-recessed into the fuselage, have been preserved. Tu-22 of the latest series have an on-board defensive complex with radio jamming stations and shooting traps. By 2020, it is planned to equip 30 bombers with new on-board electronics adapted for use precision missiles X-32.

The famous Tu-144 owes its appearance to this bomber. In 1961, during an air parade in Tushino, Nikita Khrushchev, who was watching the flight of the Tu-22, asked the aircraft designer: “Andrei Nikolaevich, could you carry people instead of bombs?” Tupolev replied that work on a supersonic passenger aircraft was already underway. In the second half of the 90s, the Tupolev Design Bureau tried to create a supersonic business class aircraft for 10-12 passengers on the basis of a bomber. The project was closed because the Tu-22 engines did not comply with civilian environmental standards.

a swan song

The flagship of Russia's Long-Range Aviation is the supersonic missile carrier Tu-160. This is the largest supersonic aircraft in the history of military aviation and the most heavy bomber with a take-off weight of 275 tons. It is also unrivaled among variable-sweep wing aircraft. Because of its color and silhouette, Russian pilots romantically call the Tu-160 the “White Swan”. The unromantic NATO members called it Blackjack.

The Lebed is armed with 12 Kh-55 cruise missiles in two drums launchers. The missile flies at a speed of 920 kilometers per hour at ultra-low altitude, skirting the terrain, and delivers a thermonuclear warhead with a capacity of 100 kilotons 2,500 kilometers away, which guarantees the destruction of the target. Also, Kh-101 missiles with a more advanced control system and, accordingly, greater hit accuracy can be attached to the Tu-160 - the coefficient of possible missile deflection at a distance of two thousand kilometers is 5 meters.