After the loss of another Tu-22M3 long-range bomber this year, in the August 15 disaster in the Irkutsk region, quite logical questions are how many of these aircraft are produced in the Russian Federation per year and how many are left there.
Because among these planes there are losses not only in disasters, but as a result of successful actions of the Defense Forces of Ukraine. In particular:
Read also: Rheinmetall aims to sell Skyranger to the US Army: this is a potential $4 billion deal
Tu-22M3 at Soltsi Air Base
At the same time, it should be taken into account that in case of damage, it is far from a fact that the aircraft will be repaired and will not fall into the category of irreversible losses.
Especially if you remember that the Russian Federation does not produce Tu-22M aircraft in any version at all, because the last Tu-22M3 was produced in 1993. And the only reserve that the Russian Federation is already using is up to six gliders that have been in the open for about 30 years. In addition, the Russian Federation may try to restore machines that have already been decommissioned and are in storage.
But the main problem for the Russians is that the NK-25 engines are no longer produced for the Tu-22M3. They were produced until 1996. That is, all opportunities to restore additional aircraft rest, first of all, on this problem.
That is why they wanted to install the NK-32 from the Tu-160 in the new modernization of the Tu-22M3M. Their production of the NK-32-02 version was resumed in 2016 in a homeopathic quantity. But these engines are needed for the modernization and even an attempt to resume production (partly also on the basis of the Soviet reserve) of the Tu-160M.
But nothing has been heard about the installation of these engines in the Tu-22M3M. Moreover, this modernization, which is supposed to update 80% of all on-board radio-electronic equipment, expand the range of weapons and add an aerial refueling rod, is designed to continue the operation of the machines only for a fairly limited period – about 10 years.
One of two known Tu-22M3M, without a refueling rod
At the same time, the terms of modernization have already completely failed and only two Tu-22M3M are known for certain, one of which was ready at the level of 2018.
Therefore, each Tu-22M3 loss is more than significant for the Russian Federation. Because new planes are not being produced and all that is possible is to “finish” the leftovers from the USSR. At the same time, there is no substitute for these aircraft, as well as strategic aviation in the form of Tu-95MS and Tu-160. More precisely, there is only an approved, after 12 years of talking about its analogue network, outline.
As for the number of Tu-22M3s in the “VKS” of the Russian Federation, according to the estimates presented in Military Balance, it is about 57 machines “on paper” as of mid-2023. They are operated by the 200th, 52nd Heavy and 40th Mixed Aviation Regiments with the base airfields “Belaya”, “Shaykovka” and “Olenya”.
In addition, it is extremely important that the Russian Federation wanted to send only up to 30 aircraft for modernization to the Tu-22M3M level. And it is this figure that can be considered a reference.
The second of the two known Tu-22M3M, with a refueling rod
And it is already possible to subtract at least two lost cars from it, as well as part of the damaged ones. But in reality it is much more, because not all Russian Tu-22M3s are in combat and flight condition. In particular, the use of these machines, which was quite active at the level of 2022, has now been reduced to isolated episodes.
Read also: The USA is “open to transfer” to Ukraine long-range AGM-158 JASSM under F-16: what kind of missiles are these
