Tupolev Tu - 22M The Tupolev Tu - 22M ( Russian : Туполев Ту - 22М ; NATO reporting name : Backfire ) is a supersonic , swing - wing , long - range strategic and maritime strike bomber developed by the Soviet Union . Significant numbers remain in service with the Russian Air Force . Development . As with the contemporary MiG - 23 and Su - 17 projects , the advantages of variable - geometry wings seemed attractive , allowing a combination of short take - off performance , efficient cruising , and good high - speed , low - level ride . The result was a new swing - wing aircraft called " Samolyot 145 " ( ) , derived from the Tupolev Tu - 22 , with some features borrowed from the abortive Tu - 98 . The Tu - 22M was based on the Tu - 22 ' s weapon system and used its Kh - 22 missile . The Tu - 22M designation was used to help get approval for the bomber within the Soviet military and government system . The Tu - 22M designation was used by the Soviet Union during SALT - 2 arms control negotiations , creating the impression that it was a modification of the Tu - 22 . Some suggested that the designation was deliberately deceptive , and intended to hide the Tu - 22M ' s performance . Other sources suggest the " deception " was internal to make it easier to get budgets approved . According to some sources , the Backfire - B / C production variants were believed to be designated Tu - 26 by Russia , although this is disputed by many others . The US State and Defense Departments have used the Tu - 22M designation for the Backfire . Production of all Tu - 22M variants totalled 497 including pre - production aircraft . Operational history . During the Cold War , the Tu - 22M was operated by the VVS ( Soviet Air Force ) in a strategic bombing role , and by the AVMF ( " Aviatsiya Voyenno - Morskogo Flota " , Soviet Naval Aviation ) in a long - range maritime anti - shipping role . During the 1970s , Tu - 22M made a few simulated attack runs against U . S . Navy carrier battle groups . The bomber also made attempts to test Japan ' s air defense boundary on several occasions . On Good Friday night , 29 March 2013 , two Tu - 22M3 bombers made simulated attacks on Sweden . The Swedish air defense failed to respond . The Tu - 22M was first used in combat in Afghanistan from 1987 to 1989 . Its usage was similar to the United States Air Force deployment of B - 52 Stratofortress bombers in the Vietnam War , dropping large tonnages of conventional ordnance . The Russian Federation used the Tu - 22M3 in combat in Chechnya during 1995 , performing strikes near Grozny . At the time of the dissolution of the Soviet Union , some 370 remained in CIS service . Production ended in 1993 . The fleet strength was about 84 aircraft in 2008 . The Russian military acknowledged the loss of a Tu - 22MR recon aircraft to Georgian air defences early in the 2008 South Ossetia war . One of its crew members was captured ( Major Vyacheslav Malkov ) , two others were killed and the crew commander is missing in action as of August 2009 . Export . The Tupolev company has sought export customers for the Tu - 22M since 1992 , with possible customers including Iran , India and the People ' s Republic of China , but no sales have apparently been made . However , unlike the Tu - 22 bomber , Tu - 22M bombers were not exported to middle - east countries that posed a threat to US military presence in the region . Through 2001 , four Tu - 22M aircraft were leased to India for maritime reconnaissance and strike purposes . In January 2013 , reports emerged that China had signed a purchase agreement for the production and delivery of 36 Tu - 22M3 , under the Chinese designiation of " H - 10 " ; many components are to be manufactured domestically in China under a technology transfer agreement with Russia and Tupolev . Sales of the Russian - built Raduga Kh - 22 long - range anti - ship missile and the fleet ' s intended use as a maritime strike platform have also been speculated upon . However , Rosoboronexport has reportedly denied any sales or negotiations with China regarding the Tu - 22M . Variants . Only nine of the earliest " Tu - 22M0 " pre - production aircraft were produced , followed by nine more " Tu - 22M1 " pilot - production craft in 1971 and 1972 . Its NATO reporting name was " Backfire - A " . The first major production version , entering production in 1972 , was the " Tu - 22M2 " ( NATO : " Backfire - B " ) , with longer wings and an extensively redesigned , area ruled fuselage ( raising the crew complement to four ) , twin NK - 22 engines ( 215 kN thrust each ) with F - 4 Phantom II - style intakes , and new undercarriage with the main landing gear in the wing glove rather than in large pods . These were armed most commonly with long - range cruise missile s / anti - ship missile s , typically one or two Raduga Kh - 22 anti - shipping missile s . Some Tu - 22M2s were later reequipped with more powerful NK - 23 engines and redesignated " Tu - 22M2Ye " . In service , the Tu - 22M2 was known to its crews as " Dvoika " ( ' Deuce ' or second ) . The later " Tu - 22M3 " ( NATO : " Backfire C " ) , which first flew in 1976 and entered service in 1983 , had new NK - 25 engines with substantially more power , wedge - shaped intakes similar to the MiG - 25 , wings with greater maximum sweep , and a recontoured nose housing a new Leninets PN - AD radar and NK - 45 nav / attack system , which provides much - improved low - altitude flight ( although not true nap - of - the - earth flying ) . It had a revised tail turret with a single cannon , and provision for an internal rotary launcher for the Raduga Kh - 15 missile , similar to the American AGM - 69 SRAM . It was nicknamed " Troika " ( ' Trio ' or third ) in Russian service . Tu - 22M3 has an improved thrust , maximum speed increases from Mach 1 . 65 to 2 . 05 , and combat range from 5 , 100 – 6 , 800 km . One topic of controversy surrounding the Tu - 22M is its capacity for aerial refueling . As built , the Tu - 22M has provision for a retractable in - flight refueling probe in the upper part of the nose . This was allegedly removed as a result of the SALT negotiations , although it can be easily reinstated if needed , and a pilot - production Tu - 22M1 ( NATO : Backfire - A ) with refueling probe can be seen at Riga Airport today . A small number , perhaps 12 , of Tu - 22M3s were converted to Tu - 22M3 ( R ) or " Tu - 22MR " standard , with Shompol side - looking radar and other ELINT equipment . Tu - 22M3M : Tu - 22M3 for RuAF with upgraded avionics and the ability to use precision weapons air - to - surface . Prior to 2020 is planned to upgrade 30 Tu - 22M3 , setting them on a new hardware component base and adapted to the extended range weapons .