Why Tu-95s carry fewer and fewer missiles: Svitan named a list of reasons

Why Tu-95s carry fewer and fewer missiles: Svitan named a list of reasons Anzhelika Galesevich

Previously, one Russian Tu-95 bomber carried more than eight missiles, now only one. There are three possible reasons why the ship is carrying fewer and fewer missiles.

The Russians are facing real problems or are being cunning again. More details 24 Channel was explained by military expert, instructor pilot and reserve colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Roman Svitan.

First reason

From the beginning of its design, the Tu-95 airframe was not intended for hanging heavy missiles on the wing floor. The bomber was built as a vessel that could carry 6 missiles in a drum. We are talking about the Kh-55 and Kh-555.

Subsequently, the Russians decided to launch Kh-101 missiles from the Tu-95, but they do not fit into the drum. Therefore, the bomber was modernized at the Taganrog plant so that these missiles could be suspended.

But the undesigned flight mode most likely led to design changes in the Tu-95 airframe. Roughly speaking, the wing began to break after suspending many missiles, suggested Roman Svitan.

Given this problem, the Russians reduced the number of missiles to 4, then to 2, and now up to 1.

Second and third reasons

Reducing the number of missiles on board the Tu-95 may also be associated with training or training of flight personnel. The Russian command is presumably testing the flying technique of some pilots. That is, pilots seem to perform training or control flights, but with combat use at the same time.

That is, they combine. Because flying a Tu-95 is quite an expensive pleasure. During one flight, more than one rail tank of aviation kerosene enters the ship. And the Tu-160, by the way, has three such tanks, so they don’t use them. “It’s too expensive,” the instructor pilot emphasized.

Also, the Russian leadership may try to issue the flight crew a combat combatant certificate. If you complete certain combat missions, Russian pilots have the opportunity to receive additional “presents”.