The beginning of the Cold War and the need perceived by the Soviet leaders to deal nuclear strikes against the continental USA led the Soviet Union to develop new delivery vehicles – primarily strategic bombers. Thus in 1951 the Tupolev Design Bureau brought out the Tu-95. Known to the West as the Bear, this machine was unique in combining turboprop engines with swept wings – a feature which accounted for the bomber’s impressive top speed of 910 km/h. The basic bomber soon became a symbol of the tell-tale Soviet threat and the progenitor of a whole family of combat aircraft which included missile carriers, an over-the-horizon targeting version working with missile submarines, reconnaissance versions, a long-range ocean anti-submarine warfare aircraft, a communications relay version and assorted testbeds. Some of the Bear’s versions remain in service to this day. The album contains about 150 black/white and colour photos illustrating the type’s development and service from the inception to the present day. The photos are provided with detailed captions in Russian and English.
