The Significance of Russian Tu-22M3 Bombers in Syria: Hypersonic Missiles on NATO’s Southern Flank

The Russian Ministry of Defence has confirmed the deployment of Tu-22M3 supersonic bombers to Khmeimim Airbase in western Syria, following the expansion of runways at the base observed in February to accommodate the large new aircraft. The ministry has indicated that the aircraft will operate in a maritime role, in contrast to most aircraft at the base which have been deployed primarily to meet the ongoing needs of the war in Syria itself. This role was indicated by the fact that shortly after its announcement, the ministry release footage of the bombers carrying Kh-22 long range anti ship cruise missiles - an ageing but still potent design ideal for maritime strikes. A portion of the bombers were reportedly deployed from Russia’s far eastern regions, where they have for decades played a key role in checking Japanese and U.S. forces near Russian borders. 

Regarding the deployment, the Ministry of Defence announced: “Crews of the long-range bombers will acquire practical skills in practicing training tasks in new geographic areas during flights in the airspace over the Mediterranean Sea. After completing training tasks for the development of airspace in the maritime zone of the Mediterranean Sea, the long-range bombers will return to permanent airfields on the territory of the Russian Federation.” While the deployment will not be permanent, it will establish a precedent for frequent operations in the area by the aircraft. The Tu-22M first entered service in 1972, with approximately half of them having being deployed by the Soviet Navy and afterwards by Russian naval aviation. The aircraft have long been prized for their advanced maritime strike capabilities, with their Kh-22 missiles retaining a 600km range, impacting targets at near hypersonic speeds, and carrying massive 1000kg warheads - enough to disable most surface ships with a single direct hit. The bombers have more recently been equipped with Kh-32 and Kh-47M2 missiles, which are significantly more capable and have respective ranges of 1000km and 2000km. 

While Tu-22M bombers deployed to Khmeimim Airbase do not have aerial refuelling capabilities, their formidable range combined with the long standoff ranges of their missiles allow them to to cover targets across the entire Mediterranean and into the Atlantic. The Kh-47M2 hypersonic ballistic missile also allows the bombers to strike targets on land deep into European territory from NATO’s less well guarded southern flank. The deployment of the aircraft thus has significant implications for the balance of power not only in the eastern Mediterranean, but also more broadly in the conflict between Russia and the Western Bloc. With NATO member states having supported an ongoing war effort against the Syrian government for over ten years, and both heavily sanctioned and broken diplomatic ties with Damascus, any hesitancy the country may have had about hosting such a bomber presence before the war will have disappeared. 

The Tu-22M fleet is currently undergoing wide ranging upgrades, with variants deployed being of the Tu-22M3 variant and much of the fleet scheduled for upgrading to the much more capable Tu-22M3M variant. The new variant uses a number of technologies from the Su-57 next generation fighter jet, and notably has an in flight refuelling capability which would allow bombers deploying from Syria to reach targets far into the Atlantic. The Tu-22M3M has seen 80 percent of its avionics either upgraded or replaced entirely from prior variants, and uses new NK-32-02 engines which are the most powerful on any kind of combat jet in the world. The aircraft have superior sensors, navigation systems, armaments, electronic warfare countermeasures and cockpits, and are much better suited to carrying out precision strikes. With the last Tu-22M jets having left production lines in 1997, they are among the very newest strategic bomber airframes in service anywhere in the world.