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Some thoughts about rear turret in TU-22M


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Deal all,

I just wonder if the rear turret in the Tu-22M Backfire series is remote controlled by operator, or it's rear-radar guided turret to attack fighters in the rear perimeter?

In addition, is it feasible to add a powerful rear-radar to guide the guns to defeat incoming air-to-air missles or aircraft just like what was installed in surface vessels? Would this be a better option than a powerful ECM?

Regards,

Jeffrey

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Deal all,

I just wonder if the rear turret in the Tu-22M Backfire series is remote controlled by operator, or it's rear-radar guided turret to attack fighters in the rear perimeter?

In addition, is it feasible to add a powerful rear-radar to guide the guns to defeat incoming air-to-air missles or aircraft just like what was installed in surface vessels? Would this be a better option than a powerful ECM?

Regards,

Jeffrey

"Defensive armament consists of a UKU-9A-502 remote-controlled tail gun barbette with two 23mm (0.90 calibre) GSh-23 twin-barrelled guns (600rpg, rate of fire 2,600rpm). The guns are aimed by a TP-1 TV-sighting system and a PRS-4 'Krypton' gun-ranging radar."

The tail turrets and guns were diferent between the M2 & M3 -

The M2 had a more barrel-shaped (fatter) turret with twin horizontally mounted guns, the M3 UKU-9A-802 turret was more oil-drum shaped with a single vertically-mounted GSh-23 cannon equipped to fire IR decoys and chaff-dispensing projectiles.

The shape of the gun-ranging radar domes are also different - the M2 has a dome-shaped radome, that on the M3 is flatter...

M2 Turret......

tu-22m3_058.jpg

tu-22m3_059.jpg

M3 Turret....

tu-22m3_062.jpg

tu-22m3_061.jpg

Ken

Edited by Flankerman
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To me, it's pretty obvious the rear gun of the Tu-22M3 is an out of date design for defense arnament. I think it's more feasible to put a more powerful jammer instead of a gun for self defense, just like the TU-160.

Originally, I thought the rear gun has some sort of radar "guided" capability to shoot down fighter planes in rear quarter without the operator "chasing the target".

In the rare case of a gun fight with a fighter, the remote control turret is almost useless. Consider the limited field of view provided by the camera to the operator and a fast maneuvering target, the chance of chasing down the target to get a gun hit is very slim.

I wonder if operation units of Tu-22M3 even have their rear gun loaded, and wonder if the modernized tu-22(M5??) will remove the rear gun with something more effective like a better ECM.

Edited by Jeff
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The little holes in the fuselage, air vents for the engine bay?

The guns are nice and look good. I could see a fighter maybe getting tapped if it was an intercept and escort role prior to hostilities. Other than that the fighters stay in missile parameters and shoot.

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In the rare case of a gun fight with a fighter, the remote control turret is almost useless. Consider the limited field of view provided by the camera to the operator and a fast maneuvering target, the chance of chasing down the target to get a gun hit is very slim.

Tell that to SSgt Sameul O. Turner and A1C Albert E. Moore, both of the USAF. They were B-52 tail turret gunners in VietNam, and both scored MiG kills - both on MiG-21s.

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