The Ultimate Tupolev Tu-95 Dog Breeds Information Guide and Reference

The Tupolev Tu-95 (NATO reporting name Bear) is the most successful Tupolev strategic bomber and missile carrier from the times of the Soviet Union. The Bear is powered by four turboprop engines, each driving contra-rotating propellers, and remains one of the fastest propeller-driven aircraft ever built. As of 2004, the Bear remains in service in Russia.

For a long time, the Tu-95 was known to Western intelligence as the Tu-20. While this was, in fact, 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 fell out of use. Since the Tu-20 designation was used on many documents stolen by Western intelligence agents, the name continued to be in use there.

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 longetivity was its suitability, like the B-52, for modification to suit 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 and maritime patrol (the maritime patrol variant is known as the Tu-142 Bear-F ). During and after the Cold War, the Tu-95's utility as a weapons platform has only been eclipsed by its usefulness as a diplomatic icon. When a patrolling Tu-95 appears off the coast of the United States or one of its allies, it may not be the technological menace that it was in its heyday, but it is still a potent and visible symbol of the Russian capability to project military power over great distances.

The Soviet Union did not assign official "popular names" to its aircraft, although unofficial nicknames were common. Unusually, Soviet pilots found the Tu-95/Tu-142's NATO reporting name, 'Bear,' to be a fitting nickname, given the aircraft's large size, 'lumbering' manuverablity and speed, and large arsenal. It is often called Bear in Russian service.

Variants

Bear A (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.

Bear B (Tu-95K/Tu-95KD) - Designed to carry the monstrous AS-3 Kangaroo air-to-surface missile. The Tu-95KD aircraft were the first to be outfitted with nose probes.

Bear C (Tu-95KM) - Modified and upgraded versions of the Bear B, most notable for their enhance reconnaisance systems. These were in turn converted into the Bear G configuration.

Bear D (Tu-95RT) - Variants of the basic Bear A configuration, redesigned for maritime electronic intelligence (ELINT) for service in the Soviet Naval Aviation. This aircraft was featured in Tom Clancy's techno-thriller Red Storm Rising.

Bear E (Tu-95U) - Bear A modified for photo-reconnaisance and produced for Naval Aviation.

Bear F (Tu-142/Tu-142M) - Originally designed as a maritime surveillance aircraft to supplement the Bear D, the Bear F evolved to become the premier anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft of the Soviet Navy during the Cold War. The ASW variants were designated as Tu-142M2 (Bear F Mod 2), Tu-142M3 (Bear F Mod 3), and Tu-142M4 (Bear F Mod 4).

Bear G (Tu-95K22) - Conversions of the older Bear bombers, reconfigured to carry the AS-4 Kitchen missile and incorporating modern avionics. A number of these bombers are still operational within the Russian Air Force.

Bear H (Tu-95MS/Tu-95MS6/Tu-95MS16) - Roughly similar to the the Bear G, but based on the Tu-142 airframe. This variant became the launch platform of AS-15 Kent cruise missile

Bear J (Tu-142MR) - Variant of the Bear F modified for use in submarine communications as well as other command, control and communications (C3) duties.

Bear T (Tu-95U) - Training variant, modified from surviving Bear A's but now all have been retired.

Several other modification of the 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.

Specifications (Tu-95MS)

General Characteristics

Crew: seven - two pilots, one tailgunner, four others
Length: 49.50 m (162 ft 5 in)
Wingspan: 51.10 m (167 ft 8 in)
Height: 12.12 m (39 ft 9 in)
Wing area: 310 m² (3,330 ft²)
Empty: 90,000 kg (198,415 lb)
Loaded: kg ( lb)
Maximum takeoff: 188,000 kg (414,470 lb)
Powerplant: 4x Kuznetsov NK-12 MV turboprops, 11,033 kW (14,795 shp) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 925 km/h (575 mph)
Range: 15,000 km (9,375 miles)
Service ceiling: 12,000 m (39,370 ft)
Rate of climb: 600 m/min (1,968 ft/min)
Wing loading: 606 kg/m² (124 lb/ft²)
Power/Mass: 0.235 kW/kg (0.143 hp/lb)

Armament

1x or 2x AM-23 23 mm cannon in tail turret
up to 15,000 kg (33,000 lb) of stores, including the Kh-20 , Kh-22, Kh-26 , and Kh-55 air-to-surface missiles

Tupolev Tu-95

Variants

Specifications (Tu-95MS)

General Characteristics

Performance

Armament

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