Aviation expert explains why Russian Tu-95s carry only one missile

Aviation expert explains why Russian Tu-95s carry only one missile Anzhelika Galesevich

Russian Tu-95 bombers began to carry fewer missiles – from more than eight to only one. The ships are quite old, so they needed to be modernized. However, the Russians only repaired them.

The reduction in the number of missiles is also due to the fact that the Tu-95s launched the Kh-101s, which are not intended for use by these aircraft. More details 24 Channel were told by aviation expert, deputy director of the company producing electronic warfare equipment Anatoly Khrapchinsky.

Russians wanted to save

According to the aviation expert, the strategic aviation that Russia uses to strike Ukraine was inherited from the USSR. The Russians have not designed a single modern aircraft or even modernized old ships during the existence of the empire. What they have is mostly an attempt to repair the aircraft fleet they had.

If we talk about Russian Tu-95 aircraft, they are now launching Kh-101 missiles. Although they were not intended to operate this weapon. The bombers are designed for Kh-55 missiles, which were placed inside the bomb bay of this aircraft. To accommodate the Kh-101, the Russians hung them under the wing. Thanks to this, the Tu-95 could carry 8 missiles, but this is a significant load on the wing, engine and propellers. In particular, aerodynamic.

The aircraft needed to be modernized – change the geometry of the wing and some internal elements that make it more powerful. Actively used, the Tu-95 went beyond the normal resource, that is, it performed a double function. The bomber's engines are indeed powerful, but most of them were manufactured in the 1980s. They already have a short service life due to intensive use.

Trying to save money and avoid complex problems such as the plane falling apart in the air, the Russians are starting to load them with fewer missiles, noted Anatoly Khrapchinsky.