Russia’s Tupolev Tu-22M Bomber Can Be Summed Up in One Word
Put simply, the Tu-22M can strike almost anywhere, at any time, from beyond the range of Ukrainian defenses.
The Russian Armed Forces continue defying the expectations of Western analysts, as they continue to re-task their Cold War-era weapons platforms such as the T-72 Main Battle Tank (MBT) or even the Tu-22M long-range strategic bomber. Indeed, the Tu-22M’s use in the Ukraine War is one of the more interesting retooling missions that the Russian Air Force has implemented.
Known in the West by its NATO reporting name of “Backfire,” the Tu-22M was designed by the legendary Soviet-era Tupolev Design Bureau. It is a supersonic warbird that has a variable-swept wing design and is capable of carrying a heavy load of various weapons, including cruise missiles, such as the Kh-22 (AS-4 Kitchen) and Kh-32. These two cruise missiles have been ubiquitous in Ukraine. A crew of four operates the Tu-22M. This system, more than other Russian warplanes and bombers, has proven to be a consistent challenge to Ukrainian air defenses because of its long-range attack capabilities.
The Role of the Tu-22M
Tu-22Ms have been used in a variety of operational roles, notably missile strikes and bombardment. The Kh-22 and Kh-32 missiles have been used against Ukrainian cities, industrial sites, and military installations. These missiles were interestingly originally designed for anti-ship roles but have since been repurposed for land attack; they can cause significant destruction due to their high speed and large warheads.
As for bombardment missions, the Tu-22M has dropped free-fall bombs, like the FAB 3000M-46 in Mariupol, showcasing its versatility beyond just missile delivery.
NATO has supplied Ukraine with a coterie of weapons systems, among them potent air defenses. The Ukrainians have innovated a variety of tactics for deploying these systems against the larger and more advanced Russian Air Force. Indeed, the NATO-provided Ukrainian air defenses have been effective at hindering many Russian warplanes at the frontline. The Ukrainians’ success in this regard has prompted Russia to keep its most advanced warplane, the Su-57 (with a NATO reporting name of “Felon”), off the front line.
The Tu-22M’s Crucial Advantage: Range
But the Tu-22M can conduct sweeping standoff attacks against the Ukrainians that emanate from beyond the ranges of most NATO-provided Ukrainian air defenses. This allows the Kremlin to use it more extensively than its other, shorter-range birds. By not penetrating Ukrainian-controlled airspace, the Tu-22M reduces its exposure and increases the chances that it will pop off a significant number of systems directed against Ukrainian targets.
Because of its long range, the Tu-22M can target key Ukrainian military and civilian infrastructure that other planes cannot. These strikes have proven devastating to the defending Ukrainian forces. As part of that devastation, the Tu-22Ms have a profound psychological impact on the Ukrainians. These systems strike over-the-horizon, meaning that it is difficult for the Tu-22M to be detected, let alone defended against, by Ukrainian forces. All this adds to the level of uncertainty, generating increased levels of fear among the Ukrainian populace. Put simply, the Tu-22M can strike almost anywhere, at any time, from beyond the range of Ukrainian defenses.
And since the Tu-22Ms are often based at airfields deep inside Russia, far beyond the ranges of Ukrainian offensive platforms, Russia’s force of Tu-22Ms has been left relatively unscathed by the war because of its long-range and the distance of its bases from the Ukraine front.
The Hard Lessons Learned from the Air War Over Ukraine
Of course, no plane is invincible. And over the last three years, the Ukrainians have managed to down several of the birds, despite their long-range combat advantages. Because the bombers require maintenance and are older, combined with the Tu-22M’s operational temp, Russia’s defense industrial base has faced difficulty in maintaining these important birds for the duration of the war.
However, thus far, the Russians have managed to maintain the Tu-22M fleet for the most part.
Overall, Russia’s use of the Tu-22M, an older system, has demonstrated the importance of long-range heavy bombardment capabilities. In the modern age, where area denial is increasingly sophisticated, modern forces must have the capacity to overcome those area denial systems by increasingly fighting over the long-range. If there is one lesson learned by all militaries when assessing the air war over Ukraine, it is this immutable fact.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a Senior Fellow at the Center for the National Interest, and a contributor at Popular Mechanics, consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Shutterstock.