Tu-22M Backfire

Hi there,

I saw that we were discussing two Russian bombers, the Tu-160 and Tu-16. To complement these topics I’d like to discuss a third Russian bomber type, the Tu-22M Backfire. Quite an intriguing aircraft if you ask me. Some of these were operated by the Russian naval air force, on anti-shipping missions against carriers and convoys. The AS-4 was the weapon of choice for these missions.
I’ve always wondered how these bombers would have fared against a carrier. The F-14 Tomcat was designed especially to counter this threat, but only 24 Tomcats were onboard a carrier. Still, each Tomcat could engage up to 6 targets with its Phoenixes, although 4 Phoenixes was a more common load (something to do with being to heavy to land if I remember correctly). Also, Aegis cruisers supplemented the F-14s in air defence.

Any opinions on such an engagement???

Cheers,

Chris.