NTI: Databases

Russia: Heavy Bomber and ALCM Status Russia: Heavy Bomber Force Tables

To return to the main Strategic Bomber Force entry, see the Heavy Bomber Force Overview file.

SOVIET/RUSSIAN HEAVY BOMBERS

Soviet/Russian Designation	Tu-95	Tu-95K20; KD, KM	Tu-95K22	Tu-22M3	Tu-95MS	Tu-160
US/NATO Designation	Bear	Bear B	Bear G	Backfire	Bear H	Blackjack
Year first deployed	1955	1959	1964	1977	1981	1981
Max take-off weight (metric tons)	172	182	185	124	185	275
Max unrefuelled range (km)	12,100	12,500	15,000	5,500	10,500-11,000	10,500-14,000
Flight speed (km/h)	850-890 (max)	860-905 (max); 700-770 (cruising)	910-1000 (max); 710-800 (cruising)	2300 (max); 950 (cruising)	830-910 (max); 710-800 (cruising)	2230 (max); 800 (cruising)
Weapon load (metric tons)	12 (maximum)	12 (maximum)	12 (maximum)	24 (maximum)	12 (maximum)	22.4 (normal); 40-45 (maximum)
Types and numbers of ordnance carried	Free-fall bombs	Free-fall bombs, 1 Kh-20 missile	2 Kh-22 missiles; free-fall bombs	1-3 Kh-22 missiles or 10 Kh-15 short range attack missiles (SRAM); free-fall bombs.	Tu-95MS6: 6 Kh-55 ALCMs or 6 Kh-15 SRAMs Tu-95MS16: 16 Kh-55s or 6 Kh-15s; free-fall bombs.	12 Kh-55 ALCMs or 24 Kh-15 SRAMs; free-fall bombs.
Notes	No longer in service	No longer in service		Not classified as a strategic bomber and not countable under START. Some are to be converted to Tu-22M5 variant, which is to carry new missile types.	Some are being converted to carry the new Kh-101/102 ALCMs. Majority of Bear H6 are likely to be taken out of service by 2015.	Supersonic dash-capable heavy bomber with variable-geometry wings. Some are being modified to carry the new Kh-101/102 ALCMs. Small scale production of the bomber resumed in 2004, modernization of avionics and communication equipment has also been ongoing. However, as of 2007, modernized versions of the Tu-160 are yet to be deployed.

Sources:
[1] V. Dygalo, "Dalnyaya aviatsiya vchera, segodnya, zavtra," in Aleksandr Pikayev, ed., Raketnaya moshch Rossii: proshloye i nastoyashcheye, (Moscow: Komitet po kriticheskim tekhnologiyam i nerasprostraneniyu, Monterey Institute of International Studies, 1995), pp. 91-112.
[2] S.M. Ganin, A.V. Karpenko, "Tyazhelyye bombardirovshchiki," (St. Petersburg: Nevskiy Bastion, 1998), pp. 43-50, 63-66.
[3] R. Norris and H. Kristensen, "Russian Nuclear Forces, 2007," Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, March-April 2007, pg. 61-67.
{Edited 1/18/2001 MJ, 11/30/2007 AL}

RUSSIAN HEAVY BOMBER-DELIVERED MISSILES

Soviet/Russian designation	Kh-20, Kh-20M	Kh-22NA	Kh-15	Kh-55	Kh-101/102
NATO designation	AS-3 'Kangaroo'	AS-4B 'Kitchen'	AS-16 'Kickback'	AS-15 'Kent'
Design bureau	OKB-155	MKB Raduga	MKB Raduga	MKB Raduga	MKB Raduga
In service	1963	1976	1980	1983	See notes
Launch weight (kg)	12,000	6,000	1,200	1,200
Range (km)	300-600	500	150 (high altitude launch); 60 (low altitude launch)	2,500	5,000
Max speed (Mach)	2	4	5	.5-.8	.5-.8
Propulsion	Turbojet	Liquid fuel rocket	Solid fuel rocket	Turbofan	Turbofan
Payload	800kt-3MT nuclear	350kt-1MT nuclear or 1000kg conventional	350kt nuclear or 150kg conventional	200kt nuclear; no conventional variant (see notes)	Conventional (Kh-101) or nuclear (Kh-102)
Guidance	Inertial with radio command correction	Inertial with terrain contour matching (TERCOM)	Inertial	Inertial with TERCOM	Probably inertial with TERCOM and satellite guidance, TV terminal guidance
Notes	Circular error probable (CEP) 500-1000m.	Kh-22NA is a development of Kh-22PSI which entered service in 1971. Anti-ship and anti-radar variants with conventional and nuclear warheads were also developed. Follow-on Kh-32 is in development.	Aeroballistic missile. Anti-ship (Kh-15S) and anti-radar (Kh-15P) variants have also been developed.	START I designation RKV-500A. Strategic ALCM (range over 600km) countable under START I rules. Kh-55SM (AS-15B) is a long-range variant, with max range of 3000km. Kh-65 is a short-ranged (600km) conventional anti-ship variant, not adopted into service. Kh-555 is a conventional variant of Kh-55SM that has entered service in 2004.	A nuclear variant of the Kh-101/102 has been in development for most of the 1990s. As of 2007, it is yet to be deployed. Reported to incorporate stealth features. Kh-101 components are to be used in Kh-SD medium range ALCM currently in development.

Sources:
[1] A.V. Karpenko, S.M. Ganin, Aviatsionnyye rakety bolshoy dalnosti, (St. Petersburg: Nevskiy bastion, 1998), pp. 14-17, 33, 35-43.
[2] Alevtina Volkova, Sergey Grigoryev, "Strategicheskiye stanut mnogotselevymi," Nezavisimoye voyennoye obozreniye, No. 22/2000, p. 6; in WPS Oborona i Bezopasnost, 20 September 2000; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.ru/.
[3] R. Norris and H. Kristensen, "Russian Nuclear Forces, 2007," Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, March-April 2007, pg. 61-67. {Edited 1/18/2001 MJ, Updated 11/30/2007 AL}

HEAVY BOMBER BASES

	Mozdok	Ukrainka	Engels	Ryazan
9/90	22 Bear H16	15 Bear B 46 Bear G	0	0
12/94	19 Bear H16 2 Bear H6	18 Bear H16 26 Bear H6	5 Blackjack	24 Bear G
7/1/96	19 Bear H16 2 Bear H6	16 Bear H16 26 Bear H6	6 Blackjack	10 Bear G
1/1/97	19 Bear H16 2 Bear H6	16 Bear H16 26 Bear H6	6 Blackjack	5 Bear G
7/1/97	19 Bear H16 2 Bear H6	16 Bear H16 27 Bear H6	6 Blackjack	5 Bear G
1/1/98	19 Bear H16 2 Bear H6	16 Bear H16 27 Bear H6	6 Blackjack	5 Bear G
7/1/98	1 Bear H16	16 Bear H16 27 Bear H6	6 Blackjack 18 Bear H16 2 Bear H6	5 Bear G
7/1/99	0 (base closed in May 1998)	21 Bear H16 27 Bear H6	6 Blackjack 13 Bear H16 2 Bear H6	2 Bear G
7/1/00	0 (base closed in May 1998)	21 Bear H16 27 Bear H6	15 Blackjack 13 Bear H16 5 Bear H6	4 Bear G
7/31/01	0 (base closed in May 1998)	21 Bear H16 24 Bear H6	15 Blackjack 13 Bear H16 5 Bear H6 2 Bear G*	0
7/31/02	0 (base closed in May 1998)	16 Bear H16 25 Bear H6	15 Blackjack 13 Bear H16 5 Bear H6	2 Bear H16 2 Bear H6
7/31/03	0 (base closed in May 1998)	14 Bear H16 26 Bear H6	15 Blackjack 13 Bear H16 5 Bear H6	3 Bear H16 3 Bear H6
1/31/04	0 (base closed in May 1998)	15 Bear H16 25 Bear H6	14 Blackjack 13 Bear H16 5 Bear H6	4 Bear H16 2 Bear H6
7/31/04	0 (base closed in May 1998)	15 Bear H16 25 Bear H6	14 Blackjack 13 Bear H16 5 Bear H6	4 Bear H16 2 Bear H6
7/1/05	0 (base closed in May 1998)	15 Bear H16 25 Bear H6	14 Blackjack 13 Bear H16 5 Bear H6	4 Bear H16 2 Bear H6

In addition to the listed bombers, in 1998 six test Blackjacks and eight test Bears were located at the Zhukovskiy flight test center. In 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002 there were five test Blackjacks and six test Bears located at the Zhukovskiy flight test center.

*The 2 Bear Gs are located at the Engels bomber elimination facility.

[START I MoUs for dates indicated] {Updated 4/2/2002 RG} {Updated 3/12/2003 EMC} {Updated 11/27/2007 PT}

TOTAL START-ACCOUNTABLE DEPLOYED HEAVY BOMBERS

Note that under START I counting rules, bombers are counted as carrying fewer weapons than they are physically capable of carrying.

	Heavy Bombers	Warheads
9/90	83	354
12/94	94	844
1/1/96	89	572
7/1/96	86	569
1/1/97	79	562
7/1/97	80	570
1/1/98	80	570
7/1/98	74	564
7/1/99	73	556
7/1/00	85	652
7/31/01	80	626
7/31/02	78	624
1/31/03	79	632
1/31/04	78	624
7/31/04	78	624
7/1/05	78	624
1/1/06	78	624
7/1/06	78	624
1/1/07	78	624
7/1/07	78	624

["START I Aggregate Numbers Of Strategic Offensive Arms," ACDA Factsheet, 4/2/96; 10/2/96; 4/1/97, and the START I MoUs.]{Updated 2/22/00 EV} {Updated 12/19/2000 MJ} {Updated 4/2/2002 RG; Updated 3/12/2003 EMC; Updated 11/27/2007 PT}

Page last updated 27 November 2007
For major recent developments, see the General Nuclear Weapons Developments file.

Comments or questions? E-mail Nikolai Sokov: nsokovATmiis.edu.

This material is produced independently for NTI by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2003 by MIIS.

HOME | CONTACT US | SITE MAP