The Russian Air Force has lost a Tu-22M3 medium-range bomber (NATO code Backfire) in a crash in Siberia.
The plane crashed during a routine flight in an uninhabited area near Irkutsk, the Tass state news agency reported. The crew managed to save themselves with their parachutes. The cause of the incident was believed to be a technical problem with the four-seater supersonic bomber.
The bomber was developed in the late 1960s and built in various versions until 1993. Originally designed as a long-range bomber, the fuel tank was removed after disarmament negotiations and the aircraft became medium-range bombers. The Tu-22 can be loaded with guided missiles, cruise missiles and possibly also the Kinschal hypersonic missile.
Source: Krone
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