Photos have emerged showing the wreckage of the Tu-143 in Russia’s Bryansk region. These drones could be used in an attack campaign against Russian infrastructure.
Ukraine is looking for stockpiles from the Cold War in its own weapons warehouses and any weapons that can hit military and industrial targets on the territory of the Russian Federation. Forbes writes about this.
Apparently, a batch of Tu-141/143 drones from the 1970s have been found; Crudely designed, cumbersome but still potentially effective devices, the Ukrainian Armed Forces last used them a year ago, 40 years after they were officially decommissioned.
Social media users showed images showing the wreckage of the Tu-143 in Russia’s Bryansk region. Apparently, it was used in Ukraine’s attack campaign against Russian infrastructure. Oil facilities in Russia’s regions neighboring Ukraine.
This is a variant of the American reconnaissance drones of the Vietnam War. The jet-powered Tu-141 and similar Tu-143 are not very complex. But it is fast (weighs 7 tons and 14 meters long) and much more destructive than, for example, Shahed’s Ukrainian clone.
Tu-141/143 are operational and it is not surprising that they are used to attack Russian oil refineries.
Vietnam War-era Model 147
Drones have been used since World War I. The first models were radio-controlled shooting targets. In the 1950s, the U.S. Air Force and California-based target manufacturer Ryan Aeronautical developed the Model 147, a 10-kilogram jet-powered drone with a then-highly advanced inertial navigation system and expensive cameras.
The Model 147 flew thousands of missions over Vietnam, securing targets for manned bombers that would later attack. Armed versions were in development when the war ended, but the project was later shelved.
Tu-141/143
The Soviet Air Force soon developed similar systems. The Tu-141/143 first went on air in 1974. Andrey Tupolev produced 142 14-meter unmanned aerial vehicles at a facility in Kharkov. The system served until 1989.
Some of the Tu-141 and Tu-143 were in storage in Ukraine during the 2014 Russian invasion. Ukrainian engineers began removing old UAVs from warehouses and repairing them. Russian-backed militants shot down at least two Tu-143s in 2014.
The Ukrainian Air Force operates large numbers of manned Su-24 bombers with Storm Shadow and 300 km-range SCALP-EG cruise missiles, but there are not enough missiles and the bombers are too valuable to risk them on Russian territory.
Tu-141/143 is fast – 900 km/h.
If you remove the cameras and add explosives, the Tu-141/143 will become a cruise missile, not a reconnaissance aircraft. In March 2022, it was revealed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had modified some of their Tu-141/143 aircraft. It is difficult to say how many Tu-141s and Tu-143s Ukraine has left. If they still exist, then we should expect deeper blows to Russian industry in the border regions.
Let us remind you that the expert evaluated the design of the “Fierce” drone.
It was also reported how attacks on Russian refineries would affect the situation at the front.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.