China Buys Tu-22MB Bomber Production Line from Russia

...China has already imported 6 such bombers...

No they haven't???

Originally Posted by Jeff Head

Saw this today. What do you think? Another red-herring story? Or the real thing?

The TU-22M is a very dangerous weapons system to this day. The US used the F-14 and Phoenix Missile to counter for carriers. The F/A-18F and the latest AMRAAM missiles have the same capability.

The Russians were prepared to deploy one or two regiments of these aircraft against each carrier. Will China build that many?

Interesting development if true.

I say in 5 years watch for China's much improve version of this Russian TU-22M, including engine, avionics, and radar and sensors.

Huh.

I'm inclined towards skepticism because of all that business over the Su-35BM and Lada SSK, but Aviation News is at least reasonably reputable, IIRC.

Originally Posted by Skywatcher

Huh.

I'm inclined towards skepticism because of all that business over the Su-35BM and Lada SSK, but Aviation News is at least reasonably reputable, IIRC.

Agreed and agreed for the same reasons. Will be interesting to see if this is true.

Originally Posted by Equation

I say in 5 years watch for China's much improve version of this Russian TU-22M, including engine, avionics, and radar and sensors.

Interesting.

Well, the TU-22M is definitely not a "Stealth" aircraft, but it is fast and it can carry very modern and dangerous SSMs very quickly to a target area.

But, the Russians fugured they would need a regiment or two of these aircraft to take down a US carrier group...will China build that many?

Interesting development.

Originally Posted by kyanges

No they haven't???

First I had heard of the PRC having 6 of them already too. Anyone else hear of this?

A quick search yielded this:

Russia turns over production of long-range bombers to China

Most of the other links point to this article as well. So the story has been floating around since at least August.

And it's from "Want China times". It's all kinda... dumb sounding, honestly. At least we won't have to wait long for verification. It says they'll be flying by next year. Sure.

Originally Posted by kyanges

A quick search yielded this:

Russia turns over production of long-range bombers to China

Most of the other links point to this article as well. So the story has been floating around since at least August.

And it's from "Want China times". It's all kinda... dumb sounding, honestly. At least we won't have to wait long for verification. It says they'll be flying by next year. Sure.

Well, Aviation News EU is typically not so easily taken in...but I know it will not procude aircraft by next year. the EU article did not mention anything like that.

I guess we will see. If a contract of this nature...$1.5 billion US is still a large order...actually happened, we will see some kind of more official mention and documentation of it soon.

Originally Posted by Jeff Head

Interesting.

Well, the TU-22M is definitely not a "Stealth" aircraft, but it is fast and it can carry very modern and dangerous SSMs very quickly to a target area.

But, the Russians fugured they would need a regiment or two of these aircraft to take down a US carrier group...will China build that many?

Interesting development.

True, but today's TU-22M (even a full regiment) will have a tougher time getting close to a US Navy CVN battle groups with much improve radar and sensors as well as C.I.W.S.

Here's a video clip from that movie "The Sum of All Fears" that showed what's it's design intention were.

Stories like this have been floating around for nearly 10 years. Every single year you hear stories saying China brought X amount of Tu-22 for Y billions dollars. To this day, there is not a single Tu-22 seen in China; not even in a museum.

This thread should be locked.

Yeah, this news has been around for quite some time. Phoenix TV even report it in their military program. The bomber was called H-10 or something like that. But we all know that this is nowhere from fact!

Originally Posted by Jeff Head

Saw this today. What do you think? Another red-herring story? Or the real thing?

Interesting development if true.

when ever you read news like this first check russian sources like

UAC or United aircraft corporation that is an official source
UAC
others are Rosoboronexport
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you can switch russian or english to do a good search

or simply Lenta.ru or RIA novosti
New Radar in S. Russia to Go on Combat Duty Early in 2013 | Defense | RIA Novosti

Lenta.ru:

or tupolev official source
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however it seems there is not such sale though.

You can wait a few days if it is real you will get the news but it seems it is not real

Originally Posted by Jeff Head

Saw this today. What do you think? Another red-herring story? Or the real thing?

First I had heard about the PRC already having six of them. Anyone else hear of this?

The TU-22M is a very dangerous weapons system to this day. The US used the F-14 and Phoenix Missile to counter for carriers. The F/A-18F and the latest AMRAAM missiles have the same capability.

The Russians were prepared to deploy one or two regiments of these aircraft against each carrier. Will China build that many?

Interesting development if true.

There have been talks about China and Tu-22M as far back as the 1990's but so far all has been proven as false.

The design of Tu-22M is not only old but lacks greatly in terms of expansion potentials, hardly something China would still wants.

Originally Posted by MwRYum

There have been talks about China and Tu-22M as far back as the 1990's but so far all has been proven as false.

The design of Tu-22M is not only old but lacks greatly in terms of expansion potentials, hardly something China would still wants.

Tu-22M is getting old, true in fact in 2017 PAKDA is supposed to fly and start replacing it along side Su-34, but in terms of capability as a cruise missile carrier it is a very advanced aircraft with no analogue in the world with exception of Tu-160 or B-1B.

To say something that China would not want, well it is faster and more capable than any Tu-16 version built in China or Russia.

But i doubt Russia will sell it, it is like the US selling B-1Bs to France or England, these are weapons only for the nation that designed them

Originally Posted by MiG-29

Tu-22M is getting old, true in fact in 2017 PAKDA is supposed to fly and start replacing it along side Su-34, but in terms of capability as a cruise missile carrier it is a very advanced aircraft with no analogue in the world with exception of Tu-160 or B-1B.

To say something that China would not want, well it is faster and more capable than any Tu-16 version built in China or Russia.

But i doubt Russia will sell it, it is like the US selling B-1Bs to France or England, these are weapons only for the nation that designed it

Considering what China needs for a bomber airframe, just a cruise missile launcher and "dasher" that is the Tu-22M, is not enough, or waste of money if you ask me...despite its shortcomings the H-6 is suitable for more than just cruise missile platforms.

Bomb trucks with JDAMs, cruise missile launch platform (conventional or nuclear) with long loitering endurance, that's the thing for today's and tomorrow's bombers.

Yeah, I don't really think the PLAAF needs a low-level supersonic bomber for 'dashes' against maritime targets. They already have the J-20 for that. I'd guess that the J-20, with its stealth and possible supercruise, will be far more survivable and have a much better sortie rate than any Tu-22, nullifying the higher payload advantage of the Tu-22.

Now, the Tu-160? I can see that having a niche role PLAAF arsenal. The Tu-160 would give them a rapid-reaction, global, precision strike capability against lightly defended point targets, such as Somalian pirate camps. Would be a little bit of overkill, but the Tu-160 would be the perfect plane for the job.