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Tu-141 Strizh / Tu-143 "Reis"

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS), also known as a drone, as an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), or by several other names, is an aircraft without a human pilot aboard and widely used in both military and in peaceful purposes. UAVS are able to conduct air reconnaissance and surveillance, transfer photos and video in real time. Ukrainian developments of UAVS, as at the beginning of the Russian armed aggression against Ukraine, Ukraine's armed forces have not had own modern unmanned aircraft. The existing armed with TU- 141 "Swift" were "morally obsolete".

The Tu-141 "Stryzh" is a reusable Soviet operational-tactical reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle developed by the DKB named after A.N. Tupolev , was part of the BP-2 "Stryzh" complex. It was intended for reconnaissance at a depth of up to 400 kilometers from the front line at transonic speeds. It was equipped with means of photo and infrared reconnaissance, which allowed it to be used under any conditions and at any time of the day. The landing of the Tu-141 aircraft was carried out with the help of a parachute system located in the tail part. The complex was in service with the USSR Air Force from 1979 to 1989, and was mainly located on the western border of the USSR. A very significant number of them remained on the territory of Ukraine. the UAVs are in the possession of both the Russian and Ukrainian Armed Forces, but the Ukrainian versions of the Tu-141 UAV are marked with the Ukrainian coat of arms, and the Russian ones with a red star.

According to the structural scheme and technical solutions, the "141" aircraft became, as it were, an enlarged copy of the "143" aircraft . The reconnaissance aircraft is equipped with reconnaissance equipment (aerial cameras, infrared reconnaissance system) and is capable of performing the appropriate types of reconnaissance at any time of the day. The composition of the navigation and piloting complex ensured the normal operation of the scout and its equipment at long distances from the starting point. For the complex, options were considered for equipping the "141" aircraft with intelligence tools based on quantum mechanical generators (lasers) and the introduction of radiation intelligence systems into the complex.

The experience of developing, testing, fine-tuning, serial production and operation of the unmanned reconnaissance complex DBR-1 (Tu-123), as well as work on its further development DBR-2 (Tu-139) with a fully salvage unmanned aircraft allowed the Design Bureau to proceed to work on a fully rescued unmanned reconnaissance systems for tactical and operational-tactical purposes of the next generation. The result of these works was the creation, development in a series and transfer to service of the operational-tactical complex Tu-141 ( VR-2 Strizh ), tactical complexes Tu-143 (VR-3, "Reis") and its development Tu-243 (VR- ZD, "Reis-D").

Many technical solutions for both complexes and the layout solutions of the unmanned reconnaissance aircraft themselves were close in their practical implementation, the differences mainly related to the range of the systems. The VR-2 "Strizh" unmanned operational-tactical reconnaissance complex was intended for reconnaissance operations to a depth of several hundred kilometers from the front line, the VR-3 "Reis" tactical complex - several dozen. The new "drone" of the Soviet Army was developed on the basis of the Tu-141 aircraft designed at that time in the Tupolev office. However, compared to the Tu-141, it was significantly reduced and equipped with a lower thrust engine. These changes resulted from the fact that the combat radius of the Tu-143 was supposed to be about 60-70 kilometers.

Serial production of the "141" aircraft was launched in 1979 at the Kharkiv Aviation Plant (former No. 135), until the end of the series in 1989 , the plant produced 152 copies of the "141" aircraft.The Tupolev Tu-143 Cruise is a Soviet jet propelled unmanned aerial vehicle that would probably be described today as a Cold War drone. The prototype flight took place in 1970. Serial production was carried out in the years 1973-1989. About 950 drones of this type were created in its course. The complexes went to the units located on the western borders of the USSR , and after the collapse of the latter, a large part of them turned out to be the property of the newly independent states, in particular, the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian strike used converted Tu-141 or Tu-143 jet unmanned scouts from the USSR, developed in the 70s and produced until 1989. Soviet-made missiles brought from arsenals all over the country. They had to be restored, culled, and "pinged", and their propellant, whether solid or even liquid, had to be checked. Then, the route must be programmed—some Russian missiles still use punched cards to that end. In general, arranging a strike is no quick job. The drone had to be restored from storage facilities overgrown with grass and equipped with an adjustment system, its photographic system had to be removed, and a warhead inserted, in addition to the search for spare parts. It's artisanal work.

The Tu-141 Zagreb crash is a military incident that occurred on March 10, 2022, when a Soviet-made Tu-141 reconnaissance UAV crashed in Zagreb , Croatia . American analyst Tyler Rogoway determined that the aircraft was most likely a Soviet-era Tupolev Tu-141 , [6] which was also confirmed by Cyrillic writing and red stars found on the scattered wreckage near the crash site.

On 07 October 2022, an unknown drone attacked Tu-22M3 strategic bombers at the Shaykovka Air Base, 200 km from the Ukrainian border. There were reports of damage to two Tu-22M3s, but this could not be confirmed by satellite images. However, the Russians moved their Tu-22M3 away from the borders with Ukraine — to Diaghilev.

On 04 December 2022 Ukraine announced that it had successfully tested a strike drone with a range of around 1,000 kilometers, with a 75 kilogram explosive warhead. Ukroboronprom had said for several months that it is working on a long-range drone program. Defense Express suggests that the Tu-141 "Stryzh" and Tu-143 "Reis" could receive new navigation equipment for more accurate strikes.

On 05 December 2022 Ukrainian troops attacked two Russian airbases with modified Soviet Tu-141 Strizh drones with a flight range of one thousand kilometers. Until 2022, the Armed Forces of Ukraine considered the Tu-141 as targets for training anti-aircraft calculations.

Drones attacked two airfields in Russia - Dyaghilevo and Engels, on which strategic aviation is based. "Engels" is the regular air base of the 121st and 184th heavy bomber aviation regiments, armed with Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers. the very demonstration of the ability to "retrieve" racist objects more than half a thousand kilometers deep into enemy territory has a significant symbolic meaning for our spirit. In much the same way that the American "Doolittle Raid" in 1942 over Tokyo was essential to the US victory over Japan in 1945.

It is from these airfields that Russian planes take off to launch missile strikes on Ukraine. At least two strategic bombers were put out of action for months: the Tu-95 we saw being extinguished with foam might be irreparably damaged, while in the Tu-22M3, the engines and tail fin need replacement. In Kursk, a hit on a fuel depot caused a severe, hours-long fire. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation acknowledged the death of three servicemen and the damage to two military aircraft. The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the destruction of two more missile carriers, apparently Tu-95MSs, at Engels-1.

For the first time since the Second World War, combat aircraft penetrated into central Russia unnoticed and delivered a precise attack on the Russian military. For the first time in the war, a strategic operation of the Russian military was partially disrupted by a single drone attack. For the first time in history, strategic strike aircraft of a nuclear power were hit directly at their base.

On 06 December 2022, drones attacked an airfield in the Kursk region. Kursk Eastern airport is located there. M. I. Gurevich, on which the fighter and bomber aviation of the Russian Federation is based. On the same day, drones attacked a plant of the Russian State Reserve in Bryansk region. Ukraine had not officially claimed responsibility for the attacks. Propagandists of the occupiers assume that the bases could have been attacked by Soviet Tu-141 Strizh or Tu-143 Reis UAVs, which Ukraine has.

Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland said that "nobody has claimed responsibility" for the drone strikes, but noted that "the Ukrainian people are incredibly innovative; they are making their own drones, air and sea, that are incredibly effective."

Three Russian military personnel were killed from the debris of a Ukrainian drone that was shot down and fell on a military base deep inside Russia, the country's defence ministry said. "On December 26, at about 01:35 Moscow time, a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down at low altitude while approaching the Engels military airfield in the Saratov region," the Russian Defence Ministry said on 26 December 2022. "As a result of the fall of the wreckage of the drone, three Russian servicemen of the technical staff who were at the airfield were fatally wounded." The ministry added that aviation equipment was not damaged. Roman Busargin, the governor of the Saratov region, said that civil infrastructure facilities were not damaged in the incident either.