mo4ch:>Backfire takes off: Upgraded Tu-22 supersonic bomber makes maiden flight in Russia | Mo4ch News

Half a year after a spectacular roll-out in Kazan, the Tu-22M3M, a state-of-the-art modernized strike bomber wrapped up in a time-proven shell, performed a maiden flight, according to Russian media.A launch version of the Tu-22M3M (referred to as Backfire by NATO) took off at an airfield in Kazan starting a series of in-flight trials, Tupolev Design Bureau told TASS news agency. The supersonic bomber didn’t carry a weapons load during its 37-minute test flight.Read more Prior to the maiden flight, the advanced jet went through an array of ground tests in which the plane’s avionics, engines, and AI features were pushed to their limits, a military industry source said.The Tu-22M3M long-range bomber is designed to engage sea and ground targets at ranges of up to 2,200km (1,367 miles). Detailed features of the new aircraft are classified but it is known that upgraded bomb sights, better radar, and a modern digital glass cockpit will be installed on it.A first variant of the Tu-22 family wa…