Developed to meet a Soviet Ministry of Defense requirement for a fast bomber that would counter the threat posed by NATO, the Tu-16 was a ground-breaking project. It was the first Soviet medium bomber to feature swept wings, and it was built around a pair of turbojets that were the world’s most powerful jet engines at the time.
First flown in 1952, the Tu-16 filled such roles as nuclear bomb delivery, missile strike, reconnaissance, and Electronic Counter Measures. It also served as the basis for the first Soviet jet airliner, the Tu-104. Nearly 1,500 were built for the Soviet Air Force and the Soviet Navy, and the Tu-16 showed remarkable longevity, the final examples being retired in 1993. The type saw quite a bit of combat—from the Six-Days War of 1967 to the Afghan War.
The Tu-16 was also produced in China and remains in Chinese service to this day. All known versions are described, as is the Tu-16’s operational career.
The book features hundreds of b/w and color pictures (many of them hitherto unpublished) as well as many b/w drawings and 31 color profiles.

Author(s): Yefim Gordon/Dmitriy Komissarov/Vladimir Rigmant
Publisher: Schiffer
Pages: 464
Language: English
Edition: 1
Year of publication: 2017
Dimensions: 28,6 x 22,8 cm
Binding: Hardcover
Weight: 2.60 kg