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Russia Tupolev
Tu-95MS
A Cold War-era turboprop strategic bomber, unique for combining swept wings with contra-rotating propellers to reach near-jet speeds. The modernized Tu-95MS variant continues to serve as Russia's primary airborne cruise missile carrier.
In service since 1956 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
830
km/h
15,000
km range
12,000
m ceiling
15,000
kg payload
Pricing: No public unit cost; legacy Soviet-era production run
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Russian state channel
Rosoboronexport monopoly; Western sanctions exposure and payment/logistics risk for many buyers.
Channel: Rosoboronexport (state)
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 1956. Status: active · ~500 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 830 km/h Bottom 6% of bombers
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 700 km/h
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 15,000 km
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 12,000 m Stronger than 19% of bombers
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 6
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 15,000 kg Stronger than 31% of bombers
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 49.1 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 50 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 12.1 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 90,000 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 171,000 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 7
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 4x Kuznetsov NK-12MP turboprops
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 4
- Engine power
Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.
- 14,795 hp
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turboprop
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 500 Stronger than 72% of bombers
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 44% of bombers
Specifications compiled from public Tupolev and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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Boeing B-1B Lancer Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Tupolev Tu-95MS? +
The Tupolev Tu-95MS has a maximum speed of 830 km/h.
What is the range of the Tupolev Tu-95MS? +
The Tupolev Tu-95MS has a maximum range of 15,000 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Tupolev Tu-95MS? +
The Tupolev Tu-95MS can carry up to 15,000 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Tupolev Tu-95MS weigh? +
The Tupolev Tu-95MS has a combat weight of 171,000 kg.
How many crew does the Tupolev Tu-95MS require? +
The Tupolev Tu-95MS requires a crew of 7.
What engine does the Tupolev Tu-95MS use? +
The Tupolev Tu-95MS is powered by the 4x Kuznetsov NK-12MP turboprops.
What is the Tupolev Tu-95MS used for? +
The Tupolev Tu-95MS is a bomber typically used for deep strike.
How many countries operate the Tupolev Tu-95MS? +
The Tupolev Tu-95MS is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Tupolev Tu-95MS cost? +
Tupolev Tu-95MS: No public unit cost; legacy Soviet-era production run. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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