The Tupolev Tu-95 (Russian: Туполев Ту-95; NATO reporting name: "Bear") is a large Soviet nuclear-capable, four-engine turboprop strategic bomber and missile launch platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Long-Range Aviation of the Soviet Air Forces in 1956 and was first used in combat in 2015. It is expected to serve the Russian Aerospace Forces until at least 2040.
A development of the bomber for maritime patrol is designated the Tu-142, while a passenger airliner derivative was called the Tu-114.
The aircraft has four Kuznetsov NK-12 engines with contra-rotating propellers. It is the only turboprop-powered strategic bomber still in operational use. The Tu-95 is one of the loudest military aircraft, particularly because the tips of the propeller blades are supersonic. The Tu-95 is the only propeller-driven aircraft with swept wings built in large numbers. Its armament has included the Kh-55 nuclear-armed cruise missile and Kh-101 stealth cruise missile.
Soviet crews carried out long-range patrols, without nuclear weapons, until 1991. Russia resumed similar patrols from 2007. In the 1950s and 1960s, experimental variants were used for air-dropped Soviet nuclear tests, including the Tsar Bomba, and for researching nuclear-powered aircraft.
In 1981, the Tu-95MS modernized variant began production. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Ukrainian Air Force inherited 23 to 29 Tu-95s. Under the Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program, these were dismantled by 2001.
The bomber was first used in combat in November 2015 at the outset of Russian intervention in the Syrian civil war. It has been used for cruise missile attacks in the Russo-Ukrainian war since 2022. Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb drone attack destroyed 7 to 8 of Russia's Tu-95MSs at Belaya and Olenya airbases on 1 June 2025.
Contents
Design and development
The design bureau, led by Andrei Tupolev, designed the Soviet Union's first intercontinental bomber, the 1949 Tu-85, a scaled-up version of the Tu-4, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress copy. A new requirement was issued to both Tupolev and Myasishchev design bureaus in 1950: the proposed bomber had to have an un-refueled range of 8,000 km (5,000 mi), far enough to threaten key targets in the United States. Other goals included the ability to carry an 11,000 kg (24,000 lb) load over the target.
Tupolev was faced with selecting a suitable type of powerplant: the Tu-4 showed that piston engines were not powerful enough for such a large aircraft, and the AM-3 jet engines for the proposed T-4 intercontinental jet bomber used too much fuel to give the required range. Turboprop engines were more powerful than piston engines and gave better range than the turbojets available at the time, and gave a top speed between the two. Turboprops were also initially selected for the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress to meet its long range requirement, and for the British long-range transport aircraft, the Saunders-Roe Princess, the Bristol Brabazon Mk 2 and the Bristol Britannia.
Tupolev proposed a turboprop installation and a Tu-95 design with this configuration was officially approved by the government on 11 July 1951. It used four Kuznetsov coupled turboprops, each fitted with two contra-rotating propellers with four blades each, with a nominal 8,900 kW (12,000 hp) power rating. The engine, advanced for its time, was designed by a German team of ex-Junkers prisoner-engineers under Ferdinand Brandner. The fuselage was conventional with a mid-mounted wing with 35 degrees of sweep, an angle that ensured that the main wing spar passed through the fuselage in front of the bomb bay. Retractable tricycle landing gear was fitted, with all three gear strut units retracting rearwards, with the main gear units retracting rearwards into extensions of the inner engine nacelles.
The Tu-95/I, with 2TV-2F engines, first flew in November 1952 with test pilot Alexey Perelet at the controls. After six months of test flights this aircraft suffered a propeller gearbox failure and crashed, killing Perelet. The second aircraft, Tu-95/II, used four 12,000 eshp Kuznetsov NK-12 turboprops which proved more reliable than the coupled 2TV-2F. After a successful flight testing phase, series production of the Tu-95 started in January 1956.
Tu-116
Designed as a stopgap in case the Tu-114A was not finished on time, two Tu-95 bombers were fitted with passenger compartments. Both aircraft had the same layout: office space, a passenger cabin consisting of two sections which could each accommodate 20 people in VIP seating, and the rest of the 70 m3 (2,500 ft3) cabin configured as a normal airliner. Both aircraft were eventually used as crew ferries by the various Tu-95 squadrons. One of these machines is preserved at Ulyanovsk Central Airport.
Modernization
Starting in the 2000s, the Russian Air Force started to study different options for the modernisation of its Tu-95MS fleet. Even before the start of the modernisation program, in 2003 the aircraft were made compatible with the Kh-555 missile. Then, the proper modernisation program was initiated. Development officially started when a research and development contract was issued to Tupolev by the Russian Defence Ministry, on 23 December 2009. The modernisations are applied to only the Tu-95MS16s using the K-016 Sprut missile initialisation system, and not to the aircraft using the older K-012 Osina (the K-016 allows the use of longer-ranged Kh-55SM missiles); in other words, only the aircraft manufactured from 1986 onwards are modernised. In total, this represents a fleet of between 30 and 35 aircraft. The program is divided into two steps: the first one consists of making the aircraft compatible with Kh-101/102 cruise missiles. These are too big to fit in the internal missile bay; hence, new external hardpoints are added. A total of eight Kh-101/102s can be carried under four double missile pylons, in addition to six Kh-55/55SM/555s in the internal rotary missile launcher. Several pieces of equipment are also replaced in this first step of the modernisation, including the satellite signal reception system, the instrument landing system, and other navigation systems. The first Tu-95 modernized to carry the Kh-101/102 missiles was the Tu-95MS Saratov, rolled out at the Beriev aircraft plant in Taganrog in early 2015. It was transferred to the Russian Air Force in March 2015. Since 2015, the serial modernisation is carried out also by the Aviakor aircraft plant in Samara at a rate of three aircraft per year. The first Tu-95 modernized by Aviakor was the Tu-95MS Dubna, transferred to the Russian Aerospace Forces on 18 November 2015. In the future, Tu-95MSs are to be upgraded with the SVP-24 sighting and computing system from the Russian company Gefest & T.
The second step of the modernisation program is also the most extensive one, and is known as Tu-95MSM. It includes the installation of the new Novella NV1.021 passive electronically scanned array radar instead of the current Obzor-MS, a new S021 navigation system and the Meteor-NM2 airborne defense complex. In addition, the aircraft modernized to the "MSM" variant will be equipped with upgraded Kuznetsov NK-12MPM turboprop engines, together with new AV-60T propellers, reducing the vibration level by 50%. Lastly, the tail turret has been removed. The first Tu-95MSM made its maiden flight on 22 August 2020. A new contract on upgrading Tu-95MS strategic missile-carrying bombers to the Tu-95MSM level was signed in August 2021.
Operational history
Soviet Union
The Tu-95RTs variant in particular was a veritable icon of the Cold War as it performed a maritime surveillance and targeting mission for other aircraft, surface ships and submarines. It was identifiable by a large bulge under the fuselage, which reportedly housed a radar antenna that was used to search for and detect surface ships.
A series of nuclear surface tests were carried out by the Soviet Union in the early- to mid-1960s. On 30 October 1961, a modified Tu-95 carried and dropped the AN602 device named "Tsar Bomba", the most powerful thermonuclear device ever detonated. Video footage of that particular test exists since the event was filmed for documentation purposes. The footage shows the specially adapted Tu-95V plane – painted with anti-flash white on its ventral surfaces – taking off carrying the bomb, in-flight scenes of the interior and exterior of the aircraft, and the detonation. The bomb was attached underneath the aircraft, which carried the weapon semi-externally since it could not be carried inside a standard Tu-95's bomb bay, similar to the way the B.1 Special version of the Avro Lancaster did with the ten-tonne Grand Slam "earthquake bomb". Along with the Tsar Bomba, the Tu-95 proved to be a versatile bomber that would deliver the RDS-4 Tatyana (a fission bomb with a yield of forty-two kilotons), RDS-6S thermonuclear bomb, the RDS-37 2.9-megaton thermonuclear bomb, and the RP-30-32 200-kiloton bomb.
The early versions of the bomber omitted crew amenities, with dank and dingy interiors lacking a toilet or a galley. Though flying the Tu-95 was uncomfortable, especially during the routine 10-hour mission trips twice a week, constant training ensured a high degree of combat readiness and around 1,200 flight-hours annually.
Due to the nature of their mission, Tu-95 bomber crews were often some of the best available in the Soviet Air Force. As part of their nuclear strike mission, bomber crews would undertake frequent missions into the Arctic to practice transpolar strikes against the United States. Unlike their American counterparts, however, Tu-95 aircraft did not fly missions carrying "live" nuclear weapons. This practice, a result of live ammunition being housed in special bunkers on the bases and a lengthy loading process (done via servicing trench below the bomb bay and taking up to two hours) was seen as a hindrance to overall mission readiness.
During the Falklands War Tu-95s carried out intelligence-gathering flights around Ascension Island.
Russia
In 1992, newly independent Kazakhstan began returning the Tu-95 aircraft of the 79th Heavy Bomber Aviation Division at Dolon air base to the Russian Federation. The bombers joined those already at the Far Eastern Ukrainka air base.
On 17 August 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia was resuming strategic aviation flights by sending its bombers on long-range patrols, a practice that had ended with the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. Fighters from NATO members are often sent to intercept and escort Tu-95s as they perform their missions along the periphery of NATO airspace, often close to each other.
Russian Tu-95s reportedly took part in a naval exercise off the coasts of France and Spain in January 2008, alongside Tupolev Tu-22M3 "Backfire" strategic bombers and Beriev A-50 "Mainstay" airborne early-warning aircraft.
During the Russian Stability 2008 military exercise in October 2008, Tu-95MS aircraft fired live air-launched cruise missiles for the first time since 1984. The long range of the Kh-55 cruise missile means the Tu-95MS can once again serve as a strategic weapons system.
In July 2010, two Russian Tu-95MS set a world record for a non-stop flight for an aircraft in the class, spending more than 43 hours in the air. They flew through the Atlantic, Arctic, and Pacific oceans as well as the Sea of Japan, covering in total more than 30,000 km (19,000 mi) with four mid-air refuelings. The primary goal of the endurance flight was to evaluate the performance of the aircraft during such a long flight, in particular monitoring the engines and other systems.
On 17 November 2015, Tu-95s had their combat debut, being employed for the first time in long-range airstrikes as part of the Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War. On 17 November 2016, Tu-95MSs performed their first combat deployment, launching the Kh-101 cruise missiles on several militant positions in Syria.
On 5 December 2017, two Tu-95MSs and two Il-76MD transport aircraft landed for the first time at the Biak Air Base in Indonesia. The bombers covered more than 7,000 km (4,300 mi) with aerial refueling before landing at the air base. During the course of their visit, the Tu-95 crews conducted their first patrol flights over the southern Pacific, staying airborne for more than eight hours.
Incidents and accidents
On 3 September 1971, a Tu-95RT crashed west of Vologda, killing all 11 occupants.
On 8 June 2015, a Tu-95 engine caught fire while taking off from the Ukrainka airbase in Amur Oblast. The aircraft veered off the runway and two crew members were killed.
On 14 July 2015, a Tu-95MS aircraft crashed while performing a scheduled training flight some 80 km (50 mi) from Khabarovsk, killing two crew members.
On 29 September 2026 a Tu-95MS crashed near Krasnoyarovo shortly after taking off from Ukrainka airbase on a reported training flight. Six of the seven crew were reported dead.
Variants
Tu-95/1
The first prototype powered by Kuznetsov 2TV-2F coupled turboprop engines.
Tu-95/2
The second prototype powered by Kuznetsov NK-12 turboprops.
Tu-95
Basic variant of the long-range strategic bomber and the only model of the aircraft never fitted with a nose refuelling probe. Known to NATO as the "Bear-A".
Tu-95K
Experimental version for air-dropping a MiG-19 SM-20 jet aircraft.
Tu-95K22
Conversions of the older "Bear" bombers, reconfigured to carry the Raduga Kh-22 missile and incorporating modern avionics. Known to NATO as the "Bear-G".
Tu-95K/Tu-95KD
Designed to carry the Kh-20 air-to-surface missile. The Tu-95KD aircraft were the first to be outfitted with nose probes. Known to NATO as the "Bear-B".
Tu-95KM
Modified and upgraded versions of the Tu-95K, most notable for their enhanced reconnaissance systems. These were in turn converted into the "Bear-G" configuration. Known to NATO as the "Bear-C".
Tu-95LAL
Experimental nuclear-powered aircraft project.
Tu-95M
Modification of the serial Tu-95 with the NK-12M engines. 19 were built.
Tu-95 derivatives
Tu-114
Airliner derivative of Tu-95.
Tu-116
Tu-95 fitted with passenger cabins as a stop-gap while the Tu-114 was being developed. 2 were converted.
Tu-126
AEW&C derivative of Tu-114, itself derived from the Tu-95.
Tu-142
Maritime reconnaissance/anti-submarine warfare derivative of Tu-95. Known to NATO as the "Bear-F".
Several other modifications of the basic Tu-95/Tu-142 airframe have existed, but these were largely unrecognized by Western intelligence or never reached operational status in the Soviet military.
Operators
Russia
Russian Aerospace Forces – 55 Tu-95MS were in service as of 2020. Only 36 are estimated to remain airworthy as of September 2026.
22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division, 6950th Guards Air Base – Engels-2 (air base), Saratov Oblast
Olenya (air base), aircraft relocated from Engels after Ukrainian drone attacks, in September 2022; in spring 2023 "more than 10" were located here, in January 2024 11 Tu-95 were seen, and by February 2024 10 Tu-95 had been detected at Olenya
121st Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment
184th Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment
326th Heavy Bomber Aviation Division, 6952nd Air Base – Ukrainka (air base), Amur Oblast
182nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment
79th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment
43rd Center for Combat Application and Training of Aircrew for Long Range Aviation – Dyagilevo (air base), Ryazan Oblast
2nd Instructor Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment
Former operators
Soviet Union
Soviet Air Forces – aircraft were transferred to Russian and Ukrainian Air Forces after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
106th Heavy Bomber Air Division – the first Tu-95s division formed in 1956. The division commander was twice-Hero of the Soviet Union A. G. Molodchi.
1006th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment – Uzyn Air Base, Kiev Oblast, Ukrainian SSR
409th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment – Uzyn Air Base, Kiev Oblast, Ukrainian SSR
182nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment – Mozdok, Severo-Osetinskaya ASSR
79th Heavy Bomber Aviation Division – Dolon (air base), Semipalatinsk Oblast, Kazakh SSR
1223rd Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment
1226th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment
73rd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division – Ukrainka (air base), Amur Oblast, Russian SFSR
40th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment – united with the 182nd TBAP in 1998 at the Ukrainka Air Base
79th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment
Soviet Naval Aviation
392nd Separate Long-Range Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment – Kipelovo, Vologda Oblast, Russian SFSR
304th Separate Long-Range Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment – Khorol Airfield, Primorsky Krai, Russian SFSR
Specifications (Tu-95MS)
Data from Combat Aircraft since 1945General characteristics
Crew: 6–7; pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer, communications system operator, navigator, tail gunner, plus additional navigator, depending on mission profile.
Length: 46.2 m (151 ft 7 in)
Wingspan: 50.1 m (164 ft 4 in)
Height: 12.12 m (39 ft 9 in)
Wing area: 310 m2 (3,300 sq ft)
Empty weight: 90,000 kg (198,416 lb)
Gross weight: 171,000 kg (376,990 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 188,000 kg (414,469 lb)
Fuel capacity: 148,150 lb (67,200 kg)
Powerplant: 4 × Kuznetsov NK-12 turboprop engines 15,000 PS (15,000 hp; 11,000 kW)
Propellers: 8-bladed contra-rotating fully feathering constant-speed propellers
Performance
Maximum speed: 925 km/h (575 mph, 499 kn)
Cruise speed: 710 km/h (440 mph, 380 kn)
Range: 15,000 km (9,300 mi, 8,100 nmi)
Service ceiling: 13,716 m (45,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 10 m/s (2,000 ft/min)