Aircraft Resource Center

Tu-22M2I Backfire

by Bud Sliger

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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

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Photos and text © by Bud Sliger

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