Tu-22M2I
“Backfire-B”
Assigned
to No. 26sqn. “Persian Tigers”
IRIAF
Bandras e Abbas
1998
After the Persian Gulf war ended in 1991 Iran sought to upgrade it’s tactical
& regional strike capability. Among the various items on the list were a
regional bomber for anti-ship and long-range strike. The Revolutionary
government inquired to the Russians about acquiring among other things a number
of Tu-22M ‘Backfire’ long range bombers. As a part of a multi-million
weapons deal, 8 ex-Soviet naval aviation Tu-22M2 were refurbished & handed
over to the IRIAF in 1994.
Click on
images below to see larger images
The main difference between the Tu-22M2 and the M2I is that the Russians
deleted all wiring for the Kh-22 ‘Kitchen’ missile, eliminating all
nuclear capability, and downgraded the targeting software. After delivery
the IRIAF had the rear defensive guns removed & replaced with a pair
of countermeasures dispensers.
In
1997 the IRIAF secretly integrated the Chinese C-801 Silkworm cruise
missile, which 2 can be carried under the wings. In 2003, a Tu-22M2I was
seen sporting 2 of the missiles during the Revolution day festivities. The
first Tu-22M2I was delivered to Iran in October of 1995, with the last one
handed over a year later. All aircraft were initially delivered in the
standard Russian gray over white, which was quickly repainted in the
standard IRIAF tan/dark tan/med. green over light gray similar to the US
‘Asia minor’ scheme. This was changed in 2000 to a blue-gray &
sand camo sported by the IRIAFs MiG-29’s and F-14’s.
No. 26sqn was formed at IRIAF Bandar e Abbas airbase to fly the Tu-22M2I.
Primarily tasked with long range anti-ship strike, the squadron (along
with the IRIAF’s P-3 Orion patrol aircraft), keeps the Straits of Hormuz
open. In the event of another war with Iraq, the “Persian Tigers”
would deploy to IRIAF’s Dezful & Hamedan bases near Iran's western
border.
Bud
|
|