Upgraded Russian Tu-95MSM strategic bomber successfully completes another test flight.

According to en.newviz.ru, the strategic missile carrier Tu-95MSM made another flight as part of the test program after its modernization. During this flight, aircraft designers checked the operation of all systems and equipment installed on board, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) reported. Work on the modernization of the Tu-95 bomber is being carried out at PJSC Tupolev and PJSC Beriev TANTK (part of PJSC UAC of Rostec State Corporation), UAC's press service said.

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  The Tu-95 was, is and will in the foreseeable future be the main strategic bomber of the Russian Air Force. These aircraft are used in the war against Ukraine (Picture source: globalsecurity.org)

UAC clarified that the upgraded Tu-95MSM is a new modification of the world's fastest turboprop aircraft. These aircraft are involved in the war against Ukraine. They are used to launch long-range cruise missiles. The Tu-95 was, is, and will in the foreseeable future be the main strategic bomber of the Russian Air Force. As of 2020, Russia had 60 Tu-95 units of various versions in service. They can be used successfully until the 2040s.

A more modern navigation computer system was installed on the bomber, globalsecurity.org reports, as well as an integrated control system. The missile carrier also received new capabilities in terms of optical and radio reconnaissance. Tu-95MSM bombers have been modified to use the Kh-101 and Kh-102 stealth missiles. The X-101 missiles have a range of 5,500 km. To adapt the aircraft for them, the armament compartment was expanded, and four universal pylons appeared under the wings, each of which is designed to suspend any two missiles from the Tu-95 and Tu-160 arsenal. In addition, in the process of modernization, the engines and propellers, weapons control systems, onboard computing systems and other electronics were updated.

The Tu-95 was created at the height of the Cold War as a response to the creation of the Convair B-36 bomber in the United States. The aircraft was created with turboprop engines (two coaxial counter-rotating propellers were needed because if one propeller were used, its diameter would be 7 meters) because at that time, only they allowed to reach a flight range of 12,000 kilometers. Namely, such a range was necessary in order to "deliver" charges to the United States in the event of war. Nowadays, the range of missiles can exceed several thousand kilometers, which allows the aircraft to operate without entering the range of enemy air defense.

As part of the modernization of the Tu-95MSM (Tu-95MS Modernized), existing airframes received a new radar, a new information display system, an upgraded defense complex, upgraded NK-12MPM turboprop engines with the installation of new AV-60T propellers. In 2016, experts at the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies noted that, as part of a complete modernization of the Tu-95M?M, the Obzor-MS radar station should be replaced with a new Novella-HB1.021 radar. It was also planned to install a new SOI-021 information display system, the upgraded Meteor-NM2 airborne defense complex, and in addition, the machine should receive modernized Kuznetsov NK-12MPM turboprop engines with the installation of new AV-60T propellers, GolbalSecurity.org reports.

Pyotr Butovsky in the article “Russian bombers to be armed with new Kh-50 theater-level cruise missile” in the magazine “Jane's Missiles & Rockets” drew attention to the X-50 medium-range missile. According to the expert, the Tu-95MSM strategic bomber will be able to carry up to fourteen such missiles, including six on the internal suspension - that is, even more than the Tu-160, which, as follows from the text of the article, will be able to carry up to twelve such products in the internal compartments. According to the data, the X-50 cruise missile will be able to hit targets at ranges of up to 1,5 thousand kilometers. It has a length of about 6 meters and a mass of more than 1500 kilograms. Cruising flight speed - 700 kilometers per hour, maximum - more than 950. 

In 2010, the Tu-95 series aircraft set a world record for non-stop flight, spending 43 hours in the air, flying about 30,000 kilometers over three oceans and refueling four times in the air.

The upgraded Tu-95MSM is a new modification of the world's fastest turboprop aircraft (Picture source: en.newviz.ru)