Tu-95MS "Bear"

Russian Aerospace Forces get another upgraded strategic bomber

The plane was handed over to the Aerospace Forces on April 4

MOSCOW, April 5. /TASS/. Another Tupolev Tu-95MS missile carrying strategic bomber was transferred to the Russian Aerospace Forces after upgrading, the press service of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) reported on Tuesday.

"The plane has been upgraded within the framework of the state contract. Experts of the Tupolev joint stock company constantly carry out the work to maintain combat efficiency of the Russian Aerospace Forces’ Long-Range Aviation planes in part of the aircraft’s upgrading with more efficient and advanced systems," the report says.

According to the UAC press service, the plane was handed over to the Aerospace Forces on April 4.

UAC reported previously that the Russian industry in 2015-2016 would modernize more than 10 strategic bombers Tu-95MS. Now the Russian Aerospace Forces have a few tens of Tu-95MS the main armament of which are the X-55 strategic cruise missiles. It is one of the world’s most well-known turboprop strategic missile carrying bombers that have been in service for more than 50 years.


More:
http://tass.ru/en/defense/867440

Tu-95MS bombers with cruise missiles X-101



http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2079551.html

Another Tu-95MS caught fire



http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2197142.html

New capabilities of Tu-95MS with control systems from "Gefest"



In another article by Alexei Ramm and Dmitry Litovkin, from today's issue of Izvestia you can find interesting material about the modernization of the Tu-95MS - the Bears will see the targets behind the enemy's rear. Russian strategic missile carriers are connected to a unique network-centric control system. "

Russian strategic missile carriers Tu-95MS will be able to receive real-time coordinates of targets and immediately destroy them with a missile attack. Such an opportunity will be provided by the installation of a special computing subsystem of the SVP, developed and manufactured by Hephaestus and T. At present, the coordinates of the targets are laid in the memory of missiles at the airfield before the missile carrier ascends into the air. According to experts, the new system seriously increases the capabilities of Russian combat aviation to find and destroy targets in real time.

The principle of the new system is quite simple. Servicemen on the ground with the help of a special terminal transmit the coordinates of the target to the aircraft. The onboard system of the SVP calculates all the parameters and puts the flight task into the head of the missile guidance. And the crew of the "Bear" can only run it.

As "Izvestia" was told to the Defense Ministry, until recently the project of equipping the fleet of Tu-95MS with the SVP system was implemented by initiative of the company "Gefest and T". But now these works are included in the long-term plan for the development of Russian long-range aviation.

In the company "Gefest and T" Izvestia confirmed that the work on equipping the Tu-95MS with the SVP system is underway. But they refrained from further comment.

At present, the Russian SV-24M front-line bombers, Su-33 deck fighters, and the Tu-22M3 long-range bombers are equipped with a special computing subsystem of the SVP. In the troops, the updated planes are called "ogefeshennye". They showed a unique efficiency during the operation of the Russian Air and Space Forces in Syria.

Thanks to the SVP, planes hit terrorist targets with conventional unguided bombs with precision not inferior to controlled airborne weapons. On the ground targets for bombers and fighters are found in the Special Operations Forces. On the electronic map, the soldiers indicate the point to be hit, as well as the target parameters. Then the information is transferred to the aircraft.

According to independent military expert Anton Lavrov, SVP is often considered an ordinary sight. But in fact it is network-centric (when all participants are integrated into a single information system) an automated control system. In the SVP in real time, there is a continuous exchange of information between ground forces and aviation.

"Currently, Russian military aerial reconnaissance vehicles use cruise missiles only on previously detected targets," said Anton Lavrov. - The SVP seriously increases the capabilities of Russian combat aviation to find and destroy targets in real time. Tu-95MS with SVP can be in the air for up to 30 hours and conduct combat patrols. At any time, his crew, at the request of ground troops, will strike high-precision strikes at a distance of up to 1,500 km.

As noted by the expert, "Bears" are needed for operations, when the targets are very far from the airfields of Russian combat aircraft. Tu-95MS with SVPs will be especially useful for Russian military communications in local wars and armed conflicts of low intensity. Also, these machines will be able to effectively support the raids of special operations forces.

Tu-95MS is an updated version of the Soviet strategic bomber Tu-95, adopted in service in the late 1950s. The car received a new wing, as well as more economical turboprop engines NK-12MP. The first flight of the MC was in 1979. And two years later their serial production began.

Until 1992, about a hundred upgraded strategic missile carriers were launched. At present, the Armed Forces of Russia has 60 Tu-95MS. The range of the "Bear" flight without refueling in the air is more than 10 thousand km. Ammunition of the machine - eight cruise missiles Kh-555 or Kh-101.

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2693072.html

New Tu-95MS strike by Κh-101 cruise missiles against targets in Syria

I just wanted to ask people's opinion on the rear mounted gun on the Tu-95 is worth having it now? Only use I can see is if it came across another enemy bomber which is highly unlikely.  I thought maybe best just to remove it to save weight and it removes 23mm ammo sitting at rear of aircraft.

Already replied on the Tu-22M3 thread, but would add here that these guns are not for use against enemy bombers... the Bear and Backfire would never come close to western bombers.

Chaff and flare and jammer rounds makes them interesting options and their high rate of fire would give them a small chance against incoming missiles, but not enough to make them worth putting on brand new aircraft.

I doubt they would remove them from existing types... the guns themselves are compact and light and what would you replace that weight with anyway?

On new aircraft they will likely be replaced with small interceptor missiles for self defence from missiles and aircraft.