• Data change date: 12/22/2015

DIMENSIONS(Tu-22M-3). Wing span 34.28/23.30 m, aircraft length 42.46 m; aircraft height 11.08 m, wing area 165 m2; wing sweep angles 20╟-65╟.

ENGINES. The Tu-22M-0 aircraft were equipped with two turbofan engines NK-144-22 (2 x 20,000 kgf), Tu-22M-1 and Tu-22M-2 - NK-22 (2 x 22,000 kgf), and on the Tu-22M -3 and Tu-22MR are equipped with NK-25 turbofan engines (2 x 14,500/25,000 kgf).

The engine control system is electric, with hydromechanical duplication.

The fuel is placed in integral tanks located in the central part of the fuselage, in the lower part of the fin, in the center section, in the fixed and moving parts of the wing. The total capacity of the tanks is 50,000 liters, refueling is carried out within 25-30 minutes.

The APU is located in the fork. In the rear part of the fuselage there are attachment points for two launch boosters.

MASSES AND LOADS, kg (Tu-22M-3): maximum take-off 124,000, maximum take-off with boosters 126,400, normal take-off 112,000, maximum landing 88,000, normal landing 78,000, fuel 53,550.

FLIGHT DATA(Tu-22M-3). Maximum speed 2300 km/h, maximum ground speed 1050 km/h, cruising speed 930 km/h, takeoff speed 370 km/h, landing speed 285 km/h; service ceiling 13,300 m; combat radius with a combat load of 12,000 kg at supersonic speed 1500-1850 km, at subsonic speed and extremely low altitude - 1500-1650 km, at subsonic along a mixed profile - 2410 km, take-off length 2000-21000 m; run length 1200-1300 m, maximum operational overload 2.5.

EQUIPMENT. The aircraft is equipped with a complex of flight navigation equipment, including a high-precision inertial navigation system. The automatic flight control system ensures flight along a given route while maintaining a programmed profile. The on-board complex includes a digital computer.

The Tu-22M-3 is equipped with a sighting and navigation system, including a high-power PNA radar (developed by NPO Leninets), and an optical bomber sight with a television channel, capable of being used in the dark and during daylight hours. There is a duplicated INS and radio navigation equipment. Low-altitude flight is ensured by an automatic altitude control system that receives information from a radio altimeter.

For remote control of defensive weapons, a radar and television sight are located in the rear fuselage, under the keel.

Electronic warfare equipment includes radar reconnaissance and radiation warning systems, active radar jamming systems, devices for ejecting dipole reflectors and heat traps (passive jamming units are located in the area of ​​the rotary stabilizer attachment points).

To warn of the approach of enemy missiles, an infrared station with a facet-shaped hemispherical fairing is located in the upper part of the fuselage, behind the cockpit.

DESIGN FEATURES. The Tu-22M aircraft is made according to a normal aerodynamic configuration with a variable geometry wing, an all-moving stabilizer and a single-fin vertical tail. The airframe structure is made mainly of aluminum alloys.

The wing consists of a fixed part and rotating consoles (on the Tu-22M-3 they can be installed in a position with a sweep angle of 20╟, 30╟ and 65╟, on aircraft of earlier modifications the maximum sweep angle is limited to 60╟). In the area of ​​the rotary unit there are aerodynamic ridges that prevent air from flowing to the consoles.

Slats are installed on the toe of the consoles along the entire span. On the trailing edge there are elevons and three-section flaps, in front of which three-section spoilers are installed.

The differentially deflectable horizontal tail provides longitudinal control of the aircraft and duplicates the lateral controls if they fail.

WEAPONS. The missile armament of the Tu-22M-3 aircraft consists of one (under the fuselage in a semi-recessed position), two (under the wing) or three (overload version) Kh-22MA missile launchers, designed to engage large sea and radar-contrast ground targets at ranges of 140- 500 km. The launch mass of the rocket is 5900 kg, length is 11.3 m, maximum speed corresponds to M=3.

The bomber's armament is supplemented by hypersonic (M=5) short-range aeroballistic missiles designed to destroy stationary ground targets or enemy radars. Six missiles can be placed in the fuselage on a multi-position drum launcher, another four missiles are suspended on external units under the wing and fuselage.

Bomb armament, consisting of conventional and nuclear free-falling bombs with a total mass of up to 24,000 kg, is located in the fuselage (up to 12,000 kg) and on four external hardpoints on nine-lock beam holders MBDZ-U9-502 (typical bomb load options - 69 FAB-250 or eight FAB-1500). In the future, it is possible to arm the Tu-22M-3 aircraft with high-precision guided bombs, as well as new missiles for hitting ground and sea targets.

Defensive weapons - two GSh-23 cannons (23 mm, Tu-22M-2) or one GSh-23 cannon with a shortened block of barrels mounted vertically and having a rate of fire increased to 4000 rounds/min. Cannon fire control is remote, via television and radar channels.

PROGRAM STATUS. It is in mass production.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. Work on the creation of a long-range missile-carrying bomber "1-45" with a variable geometry wing was started at the A.N. Design Bureau. Tupolev in 1965. The aircraft was seen as a further development of the "106" aircraft line, aimed at increasing the speed, range and improving the takeoff and landing characteristics of the original aircraft. In a certain sense, work on the “106” aircraft was an evolution of the theme of the Tu-22 aircraft and provided for equipping the aircraft with more powerful advanced engines.

The idea of ​​the creators of the 145 aircraft was to integrate the well-developed airframe, onboard systems and weapons of the Tu-22 bomber with a variable-sweep wing and advanced engines created for the supersonic passenger aircraft Tu-144. However, later, according to the recommendations of TsAGI, as well as due to the desire to improve the technical and operational characteristics of the machine, the engines, located in separate engine nacelles in the rear of the aircraft, were “lowered” into the fuselage, and adjustable air intakes with long air channels were placed on the sides of the fuselage . The aircraft was equipped with a new tricycle landing gear, the main struts of which, made according to a lever-balancer design, were retracted into the wing and fuselage (and not into the wing nacelles, as on the Tu-22).

By the time the technical design of the "145" (Tu-22M) aircraft was completed, all that remained from the original Tu-22 was, in fact, only a bomb bay capable of holding up to 12,000 kg of ammunition. Essentially, a new machine was created that met the requirements for a long-range bomber of the 70s, designed to solve two main tasks: striking strategic targets (within the continent) and hitting large naval targets (primarily carrier strike groups and connections).

The first flight of the experimental Tu-22M-0 bomber took place on August 30, 1969 (crew commander - test pilot V. Borisov). In July 1971, the Kazan Aviation Plant began building a small series (nine units) of Tu-22M-1 aircraft, state tests of which were completed only in 1975. But already in 1972, without waiting for their completion, large-scale production of a new modification of the Tu-22M-2 bomber, equipped with an NK-22 turbofan engine (a further development of the NK-144-22), began. During testing, the aircraft reached a maximum speed of 1800 km/h and showed a range of 5100 km. The armament consisted of one Kh-22M missile, semi-recessed in the fuselage. In addition, in the overload version, the self-propelled aircraft could carry two more missiles of this type. The cargo compartment and four external suspension units could accommodate up to 21,000 kg of free-falling bombs with a caliber of 250-3000 kg. Defense of the rear hemisphere was provided by two remote-controlled 23-mm GSh-23L cannons in the UKU-9K-502 installation.

In 1975, the Tu-22M-2 began to enter combat units, and the following year the bomber was officially adopted by the Soviet Air Force. The Kazan Aviation Plant produced 211 Tu-22M-2.

Based on the NK-22 turbofan engine, the N. Kuznetsov Design Bureau developed a new, more powerful and economical three-shaft engine with an NK-25 electronic control system. In 1974, it was installed on a specially converted Tu-22M-2 aircraft, designated Tu-22M-2E.

In 1977, under the NK-25, the next modification of the bomber was created - the Tu-22M-3. The aircraft had a new air intake with a horizontal wedge, which provided the engine with better operating conditions. The aerodynamics of the bomber were improved by giving the nose of the fuselage, extended by 0.8 m, sharper contours. In addition, in accordance with the protocol of the SALT-2 treaty, the fuel receiver rod of the in-flight refueling system was dismantled. To achieve higher speed characteristics, the maximum wing sweep angle was increased from 60° to 65°. It was possible to lighten a number of power elements of the airframe; in order to reduce weight, they also abandoned the extension of the middle pair of wheels of the main landing gear (practice has shown that the operation of Tu-22M class aircraft from unpaved runways is a very questionable matter), instead of two GSh-23 cannons in a narrower tail parts of the fuselage left only one cannon. The wing structure was somewhat strengthened. The bomber was equipped with an alternating current electrical system of a stable frequency, including hydromechanical drive-generators of constant speed (this made it possible to abandon bulky electric machine converters). In the DC system, contactless generators and batteries of a new design appeared. The air conditioning system has become more compact and efficient, and the layout of the crew cabins has changed for the better.

The missile armament of the Tu-22M-3 was significantly strengthened compared to its predecessor: in addition to the Kh-22MA cruise missiles, the aircraft received short-range aeroballistic missiles (six ABMs were placed on a drum multi-position launcher in the fuselage and four more on external hardpoints) .

The first flight of the Tu-22M-3 took place on June 20, 1977, and in 1989 the aircraft was adopted by the Air Force. Compared to the Tu-22M-2, the new bomber had a 14-45% (depending on the flight profile) greater tactical range. When based at a distance of 800 km from the front line, the depth of combat operations of the Tu-22M-3 increased by 20% when flying along an altitude profile and by 170% when flying at low altitude. The total combat effectiveness of the Tu-22M-3 has increased by 2.2 times compared to the Tu-22M-2.

In 1985, based on the Tu 22M-3, the Tu-22MR reconnaissance aircraft was created, which was put into serial production in 1989. The reconnaissance aircraft, intended for operations on land and sea theaters of operations, received an annapatura complex, including a side-view radar located in a gondola under the fuselage, an electronic reconnaissance system, a thermal imaging reconnaissance system, and also photo reconnaissance equipment. 12 aircraft were built or converted into reconnaissance variants from Tu-22M-3 bombers. Similarly, since 1994, some Tu-22M-2 bombers have been upgraded into reconnaissance aircraft.

The Tu-22MP electronic countermeasures aircraft was created, which is also a development of the Tu-22M-2.

Thus, to date, 497 Tu-22M aircraft have been built (ten Tu-22M-0, nine Tu-22M-1, 211 Tu-22M-2, as well as 268 Tu-22M-3 and their modifications).

The Russian Air Force has 130 Tu-22M aircraft. Another 105 vehicles of this type were available in naval aviation. As a result of the reduction in Russian aviation, only Tu-22M-3 bombers and their variants will remain in service. Ukraine has 55 Tu-22M aircraft in its air force.

The possibility of selling an export version of the Tu-22M-3 aircraft to foreign countries was considered (countries such as Iran and China were named as potential buyers), but for a number of political reasons, no contract has been concluded to date.

The Tu-22M-2 and Tu-22M-3 aircraft were used at the final stage of the war in Afghanistan in 1987-1989, where they carried out powerful bombing attacks on concentrations of enemy troops (in particular, high-power FAB-3000 bombs were used).

Currently, the A.N. Tupolev ASTC is working on further modernization of the Tu-22M-3 bomber. It is planned to equip the aircraft with new high-precision weapon systems, improve avionics (in particular, install a new radar), reduce radar noticeability
sti.

DEVELOPER. ANTK im. A.N. Tupolev.

Tu-22M(NATO classification: Backfire) is a Soviet/Russian supersonic bomber developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the late 1960s.

History of Tu-22M3

By the mid-1960s, the need for greater versatility among different types of combat aircraft became apparent. Single-mode bombers flying either only at supersonic speeds or at subsonic speeds did not meet these requirements - a new, multi-mode aircraft was needed, capable of operating over a wide range of distances, altitudes and speeds. At the same time, variable sweep technology began to come into fashion, fitting quite well into new concepts.

Work on the project of such a long-range attack aircraft began at the Tupolev Design Bureau in 1965. At first, the work was carried out without funding from the state budget on an initiative basis and was positioned exclusively as a deep modernization of the Tu-22K aircraft. At this design stage, development was underway of a design that had already been tested on Tu-22 aircraft with engines located above the fuselage on both sides of the fin. The alterations concerned almost only the wing of the future aircraft. However, by 1967, for a number of technical reasons, the design of the Tu-22M was completely revised and the prototype of the new bomber lost its resemblance to its predecessor aircraft.

On November 28, 1967, a Decree of the USSR Government was issued on the creation of a modification of the Tu-22K - Tu-22KM with NK-144-22 engines and a variable-sweep wing. Despite the fact that the Tu-22M was, in fact, a new aircraft, at the political level it was positioned as a deep modification. Basically, this was done to present the project as the most cost-effective.

Tu-22M0

In 1967, the USSR Council of Ministers issued a decree on the design of the Tu-22KM aircraft with a variable sweep wing and two NK-144 engines. This marked the beginning of the official development stage of the Tu-22M series. The aircraft were to be produced in Kazan (KAZ named after Gorbunov).

The first Tu-22M0 aircraft was built by mid-1969, and on August 30 it made its first flight. In parallel with the tests, production of serial Tu-22M0 aircraft was underway in Kazan. By the end of 1972, 9 Tu-22M0 units were built, five of which were used for retraining bomber crews.

During flight tests, it turned out that the basic flight data of the new aircraft turned out to be even worse than that of the Tu-22K, and a large amount of work needs to be carried out to modernize it. The Air Force command demanded to improve the flight performance of the aircraft and its on-board equipment. In December 1969, at the second stage of development of the Tu-22M, a decision was made to modernize the Tu-22M0 into the Tu-22M1.

Tu-22M1

Since 1970, the Tupolev Design Bureau has been designing the Tu-22M1 aircraft, taking into account the experience of developing and testing the Tu-22M0.

During the modernization, it was possible to reduce the weight of the airframe and improve the aerodynamic characteristics. The design of the air intakes, the mechanization and geometry of the wing, the defensive weapons system and the paint scheme have undergone significant changes.

In the summer of 1971, the Kazan Aviation Plant completed construction of the first Tu-22M1 with NK-144-22 engines. Until the end of 1972, nine Tu-22M1 aircraft were built at KAZ.

The Tu-22M1 did not enter combat units of the USSR Air Force. In a large series, it was decided to build the Tu-22M2 - a further development of the Tu-22M1 with NK-22 engines.

Tu-22M2

The Tu-22M2 was planned to be built with improved NK-23 engines, but all production vehicles received the NK-144-22. The weight of the aircraft was supposed to be reduced by approximately 1400-1500 kg. The TU-22M2 onboard equipment was structured into several interconnected onboard systems.

Active work was carried out to improve the aerodynamic qualities of the aircraft (especially in flights at low altitudes in order to overcome enemy air defenses). In general, the flight performance characteristics of the aircraft remained at the level of the Tu-22M1.

The first Tu-22M2 built at the Kazan Aviation Plant took flight on May 7, 1973 (testing and development continued until 1975).

In August 1976, the Tu-22M2 was adopted by the Navy Aviation and Long-Range Aviation. Serial production of the Tu-22M2 continued until 1983. During this time, 211 Tu-22M2 were built.

Tu-22M3

In January 1974, the military-industrial complex under the Council of Ministers of the USSR decided to further modify the Tu-22M2 for NK-25 engines. The new modification of the aircraft, called the Tu-22M3, was equipped with more powerful and economical NK-25 engines with an electronic control system. The design of the air intakes was changed, the vertical channel of which began to be located at an angle to the fuselage (by analogy with). The aircraft's power supply system has been completely changed.

The last Tu-22M3 aircraft was built in 1993. In total, 268 Tu-22M3 were built at the Kazan Aviation Production Association.

Video Tu-22M3: Video of taxiing, takeoffs and landings of Tu-22M3 bombers

There are other minor modifications to the aircraft:

• Tu-22M3M - aircraft with partially modernized navigation avionics and the ability to use precision air-to-surface weapons.
• Tu-22M4 - modernization with the installation of new NK-32 engines and changes in engine air intakes.
• Tu-22M5 — Project. Development began in 1997. The wing contours were modified, local aerodynamics and the quality of external surfaces were improved in order to reduce the ESR.
• Tu-22M3R— modification in the version of a reconnaissance aircraft and a jammer.

Design of Tu-22M3

Aircraft of the Tu-22M series are made according to the normal aerodynamic design of a cantilever low-wing aircraft with a variable-sweep wing. The structure is made mainly of aluminum alloys, as well as steel and magnesium. The wing consists of a fixed part and rotating consoles. The wing was adjusted from 20° to 65°. The wing mechanization includes slats, three-section double-slotted flaps, three-section spoilers, and there are no ailerons.

The aircraft has a semi-monocoque fuselage and a tricycle retractable landing gear with a nose gear. The power plant consists of 2 NK-25 turbofan engines for the Tu-22M3.

The Tu-22MZ aircraft is designed to conduct combat operations in the operational zones of land and sea theaters of war with the aim of destroying mobile and stationary, radar-contrast and area, visible and invisible targets (objects) with missiles and bombs day and night in simple and difficult meteorological conditions . The aircraft performs the following tasks:

• striking with three Kh-22 missiles in the range of carrier flight altitudes from 1000 m to the practical ceiling against radar visible and invisible targets;
• hitting ground targets with previously known (programmed) coordinates with 10 X-15 missiles;
• performing targeted bombing with free-falling unguided ammunition in the H range from 200 m to the practical ceiling (maximum bomb load 24,000 kg);
• performing optical, thermal, radar, radiation and other types of reconnaissance (Tu-22MR aircraft).

The aircraft can carry three X-22 anti-ship cruise missiles, free-fall bombs or sea mines of various calibers, with a total weight of up to 24 tons. It is also possible to place bombs on an external sling under the air intake ducts.

In service

Russia - 150 Tu-22M3, as of 2012. Combat capable 41. In February 2012, a contract was signed to modernize 30 Tu-22M3 to the level of Tu-22M3M.

Combat use of Tu-22M3

It was used to a limited extent at the end of the Afghan war (in 1988-1989), as well as at the early stage of the First War in Chechnya.

During the War in South Ossetia in August 2008, the Tu-22M3 group carried out targeted air strikes on ammunition depots of the Georgian army, bombed airfields and troop concentrations in the Kodori Gorge. According to the official version, one Tu-22M3 aircraft was shot down as a result of the use of Georgian air defense systems at an altitude of approximately 6000 m.

And today there was news about another modification of TU - 22. Let's read:

Long-range aviation aircraft of the Russian Air Force Tu-22M3 were involved in the destruction of sea targets. As a source in the Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief told Izvestia, Tu-22M3 long-range missile-carrying bombers successfully hit training targets during exercises in the Northern Fleet. Now they will be returned to performing one of the main combat missions for aircraft of this type - the destruction of enemy ships, primarily aircraft carriers, from the air.

— Previously, these aircraft were part of the naval aviation of the Navy. But in 2011 they were transferred to the Air Force. Now “land” pilots have begun to perform naval missions in a new capacity,” explained a representative at the Navy High Command.

At the same time, the Air Force General Staff explained to Izvestia that all Tu-22M3s in service - about 40 vehicles - will be tailored for anti-ship missions.

— In fact, this aircraft was developed as an “aircraft carrier killer.” It’s just that after the collapse of the USSR, these tasks faded into the background, and in general the fleet had aviation as a stepdaughter.

Let us recall that the Tu-22M was created in 1969, at the height of the Cold War with the United States, as a carrier of the Kh-22 supersonic missile ("Kha"-22, not "X"-22), intended to destroy American aircraft carriers. To search for a massive ship on the water surface, a homing system for a radio-contrast target was built into the rocket. A few years later, the missile was modified to destroy ground targets.

However, until 2012, the anti-ship function of aircraft was practically not used - the last firing at sea targets was carried out in 1989. Therefore, all Tu-22M3 pilots, including those who transferred with the aircraft from the Navy to the Air Force, learn to “work” against enemy ships from scratch.

— Until 2012, the pilots of our aviation group did not even have theoretical skills in flying over the sea. We practiced strikes only against ground targets. Now we already know how to navigate and search for enemy ships. In April of this year, we practiced launching Kh-22N missiles against surface targets,” one of the Tu-22M3 pilots told Izvestia.

According to the pilot, since the beginning of 2012, Tu-22M3s have been conducting training patrols over the Sea of ​​Japan and Barents every month.

— In the future, it is assumed that long-range aviation will work against enemy naval targets in a comprehensive manner and simultaneously with all types of its aircraft. Tu-22M3 will hunt for ships, and strategic missile carriers Tu-95 and Tu-160 will destroy ports and naval bases, a representative of the Russian Navy's main command explained to Izvestia.

According to him, the Tu-22M3 can detect and strike enemy ships within a radius of 2 thousand km from its airfield, and the Tu-95MS and Tu-160 with the new Kh-101 cruise missiles will be able to destroy even a well-defended enemy naval base at a distance of up to 10 thousand km from the launch site. The surface and submarine forces of the Navy do not have such a capability, except for nuclear weapons, which will not be used in local conflicts.

According to Vladimir Shcherbakov, editor-in-chief of the specialized publication Vzlet, long-range aircraft of the Air Force will increase the combat capabilities of the Russian Navy several times.

— In the USSR Navy, submarines and missile-carrying aircraft were supposed to destroy enemy ship groups in the far sea zone. Now the submarine fleet has been significantly reduced and cannot solve these problems. After the transfer of naval missile carriers from the Navy to the Russian Air Force, long-range bombers remained the only element that can solve this problem, Vladimir Shcherbakov explained to Izvestia.

According to the British Military Balance directory, the Russian Air Force currently operates 16 Tu-160, 32 Tu-95MS aircraft (of which about 60 are in storage), as well as 115 Tu-22M3 bombers, of which only 40 are capable of flying. ( link)

Let's take a closer look at this plane:

In January 1974, the military-industrial complex under the Council of Ministers of the USSR made a decision on further modification of the Tu-22M2 for NK-25 engines. In the course of studying possible ways of modification, the Design Bureau, based on its developments, proposes not to limit itself only to replacing engines, but to make additional improvements in the design and aerodynamics of the aircraft.

As a result, on June 26, 1974, Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR P 534-187 was issued, which determined the development of the Tu-22M with NK-25 engines, with improved airframe aerodynamics, with a reduced empty weight of the aircraft and with improved tactical and operational characteristics. The new modification of the Tu-22M received the official designation Tu-22MZ.

In addition to the use of the NK-25, at the suggestion of the Design Bureau, the following constructive measures were carried out that significantly changed the aircraft. The air intakes with a vertical wedge were replaced with air intakes with a horizontal wedge. We increased the maximum deflection angle of the rotating part of the wing to 65W, and removed the hydraulic units of the turning unit into the fairing contour. A new elongated fuselage nose section with a modified fuel refueling rod was introduced. The twin two-gun rear installation was replaced with a single-gun one with an improved aerodynamic shape.

Removable components were refined, cracks were sealed, fairings were replaced, etc. We took measures to reduce the empty weight of the aircraft: we lightened the main landing gear (switched to a different type of wheels, abandoned the sliding system of the middle pair of wheels), introduced a lightweight stabilizer and a shortened rudder, made the structure of the middle part of the wing one-piece, switched to titanium in the design of fire partitions and tail drains, changed the type of thermal insulation and sealants, replaced nipple joints of pipes with soldered ones, replaced hydraulic pumps and generators with lighter ones, abandoned heavy and bulky single-phase electric machine converters, switched to more heat-resistant electrical wires, lightened SCR units, elements manufactured by stamping and casting steel do with minus tolerances. All measures to reduce weight, even taking into account the increased weight of the new engines, should have ensured an overall reduction in the empty weight of the aircraft by 2300-2700 kg.

An important difference between the Tu-22MZ and previous modifications was the use in the power supply system of contactless DC generators and integrated hydromechanical drive-alternating current generators of stable frequency, the use of which, in addition to reducing the weight of the units, made it possible to increase the reliability of the power system and the quality of the on-board power supply. Changes were made to the elements of the navigation system. We considered issues of expanding the options for strike weapons and modernizing the electronic warfare equipment. As a result of all the improvements made in the design of the aircraft, its flight and tactical characteristics should finally reach values ​​that meet the requirements of the 1967 decree. The coordinated work of all departments of the design bureau and the serial plant made it possible to carry out a deep modernization of the aircraft in the shortest possible time and prepare the first experimental Tu-22MZ, which made its first flight on June 20, 1977, for flight testing. After completing the flight testing program, the Tu-22MZ was launched into mass production in 1978. Until 1983, the Tu-22MZ was built in parallel with the Tu-22M2, and since 1984, only the Tu-22MZ has been in production. In total, the Kazan Aviation Production Association (KAPO) built 268 Tu-22MZ. Serial production was completed in 1993.

Clickable

Tests of the first Tu-22MZ showed that in terms of their flight and tactical characteristics, the aircraft of the new modification are significantly superior to the Tu-22M2: the maximum speed increased to 2000-2300 km/h, the tactical range increased by 14-45% depending on the flight mode. The total combat effectiveness of the Tu-22MZ has increased by 2.2 times compared to the Tu-22M2. Joint state tests of the Tu-22MZ were completed in 1981 and the aircraft was recommended for adoption. From 1981 to 1984, the aircraft underwent an additional set of tests in a version with expanded combat capabilities. New weapons systems required additional time for their development and testing, so in its final form the Tu-22MZ was officially accepted into service only in March 1989.

In addition to the main variants of the long-range missile carrier-bomber armed with bombs and missiles, the X-22M. The OKB prepared and transferred into production several modifications of the Tu-22M, which differed from the basic ones in the composition of weapons and equipment. The introduction of reconnaissance and target designation equipment into the sighting system made it possible to equip the Tu-22M with anti-radar missiles. Back in the 70s, in relation to the Tu-22M2, work began on equipping the aircraft with short-range aeroballistic missiles of the X-15 type. In the 80s, this work was crowned with success - the Tu-22MZ received a variant of missile weapons with the X-15 on the fuselage multi-position ejection installation and on the wing ejection installations.

In December 1985, flight tests of the Tu-22M3R long-range reconnaissance aircraft, designed on the basis of the Tu-22M3, began. The new reconnaissance aircraft was intended to replace Tu-22R aircraft in combat units. The reconnaissance aircraft, intended for operations on land and sea theaters of operations, was equipped with a modern complex of reconnaissance equipment, which, combined with the high flight qualities of the carrier aircraft, provided a significant increase in the effectiveness of aerial reconnaissance. The equipment included a side-view radar located in a gondola under the fuselage, an electronic reconnaissance system, a thermal imaging reconnaissance system, and photo reconnaissance equipment. In 1989, the reconnaissance aircraft under the designation Tu-22MR was put into mass production. 12 aircraft were built or converted into reconnaissance versions of Tu-22M3 bombers. Similarly, since 1994, some Tu-22M2 bombers have been upgraded into reconnaissance aircraft.

To replace the Tu-22PD jammer aircraft, in the 70s an attempt was made to create a jammer based on the Tu-22M. During this work, the serial Tu-22M2 was converted into a stager. The aircraft, designated Tu-22MP, was tested, but was not put into production and service due to the lack of development of the REP complex. As noted above, it was planned to install NK-32 engines on the Tu-22MZ, thereby improving its performance. To test the new power plant, one of the serial Tu-22MZs was converted, but it did not come to the point of installing new engines; later this machine was used as a flying laboratory for testing new types of equipment and weapons. In 1992, the OKB, together with LII and TsAGI, on the basis of one of the first serial Tu-22MZ, created the Tu-22MLL flying laboratory, intended for conducting a wide range of full-scale flight aerodynamic research.

In addition to the listed built versions of the Tu-22M, the design bureau was working on several projects for modifications and modernization of the aircraft, work on which did not leave the initial stages of design. In 1972, the Design Bureau for Navy Aviation prepared a technical proposal for a radical modernization of the Tu-22M. The project received the designation "45M". According to the project, the “45M” was to be equipped with two NK-25 engines and, in its aerodynamic layout, was to some extent reminiscent of the American SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft, with strike weapons - two X-45 missiles. There were projects to create, based on various modifications of the Tu-22M, the long-range interceptor Tu-22DP (DP-1), capable of fighting not only attack aircraft at large distances from protected objects, but also AWACS aircraft, formations of transport aircraft (“raiders”), and also perform shock functions.

Real Tu-22M3.

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation operate about 165 long-range missile-carrying bombers. Most of it is in long-term storage. There are 3 more aircraft in the Indian Air Force. Ukrainian Tu-22M3 were eliminated as Ukraine fulfilled its obligations to renounce nuclear weapons.
A promising future is the creation of a commercial project for launching small satellites and other equipment into orbit, and the creation of a promising project for launching the latest hypersonic vehicles to a given altitude.
The use of the Tu-22M3 in service today is possible thanks to the operating system that has been proven over the years, which includes:
- ensuring survivability - supply of technical equipment, maintenance equipment, fuels and lubricants, spare parts, ammunition, additional materials for the successful maintenance and combat use of the aircraft;
- radio technical support for flights in a given area;
- other types of support to maintain the aircraft in full combat readiness.

The Tu-22M3 can be redeployed from its main base to an operational airfield; weapons can be moved unloaded inside the aircraft. The equipment of the aircraft at the operational airfield is carried out using mobile equipment for servicing long-range aircraft and first aid kits, which are used by ITS when relocating.

This allows the Tu-22M3 to be used in any given area.
Design work on the modernization of the Tu-22M3 missile-carrying bomber almost never stopped.
The real work to extend the service life of these aircraft for the next 25 years is work to modernize the Tu-22M3.

sources
http://topwar.ru
http://www.testpilots.ru
http://nechtoportal.ru