In 1955 the PVO issued a specification for a long-range interceptor aircraft to defend the vast territory of the Soviet Union, which was so extensive that even with a far richer economy it would have been impossible to provide comprehensive land-based air defense. To provide the necessary range and ability to carry a powerful radar and air-to-air missiles, Tupolev developed an aircraft similar to the Tu-105 (Tu-22) bomber. The Tu-102 development aircraft first flew in 1959, with the initial operational version, the Tu-28P ('Fiddler-A'), entering production in 1963. This was replaced in production by the definitive Tu-128 ('Fiddler-B'). Based on the unsuccessful Tu-98 supersonic bomber, it had a broad, low/mid-mounted swept wing carrying the main landing gear in wing-mounted pods, and slab tailplanes. Two Lyulka AL-7F-2 turbojet engines were mounted in the fuselage. Unlike the Tu-22, there is no internal weapon bay. Weapons were carried on wing pylons, with the fuselage used for enormous fuel tanks. The Tu-28P seated two crew in tandem, with separate canopies. The Tu-102 was thought by western experts to have a large ventral radar, but the bulge on the belly of the airplane actually carried testing instruments/equipment. The production Tu-28P had a large nose radome for an I-band search radar, known as 'Smerch' (Tornado; (NATO reporting name 'Big Nose'), with a detection range of about 50 km (31 miles) and a lock-on range of about 40 km (25 miles). Despite the power of its radar, the aircraft was dependent on ground-control interception to vector pilots to their targets. In later years it often operated in partnership with Tu-126AEW aircraft. As a pure interceptor the Tu-28P had almost no ECM or defensive avionics, not even a radar-warning receiver (RWR) like the smaller Sukhoi interceptors. The Tu-28 was a pure interceptor, and with its high wing loading, unsophisticated avionics, and poor visibility, as well as its sheer mass, was doubtless not an agile aircraft. It was intended primarily to combat NATO bombers like the B-52, not to dogfight with smaller aircraft. Armament of the Tu-28 was four Bisnovat R-4air-to-air missiles (NATO reporting name AA-5 'Ash'), usually two R-4R with semi-active radar homing and two R-4T infrared-homing missile, with the SARH rounds on the outer pylons and the heat-seekers on the inners. Despite the obsolescence of these missiles, they apparently were never replaced by newer weapons. Production of the Tu-128 ended in 1970 with total 188 aircraft built. Further 10 of trainers were produced in 1971 and 4 converted from fighters, designated Tu-128UT, with an additional cockpit forward of the normal pilot's cockpit, in place of a radar. Upgrade projects, designated Tu-138 and Tu-148 by the design bureau, were abandoned before much progress was made.
Operational history
Tu-128 prototype
The Tu-28's only publicly reported combat operation was destruction of NATO reconnaissance balloons, but, as interceptions of reconnaissance and spy missions were generally not reported, there may have been other incidents that have never been disclosed. Two-thirds of all produced aircraft remained in service into the 1980s. The Tu-128 was gradually phased out in favor of newer aircraft like the MiG-31, although a few may have been retained as late as 1992.
Variants
Tu-102
Development test aircraft, one built.
Tu-28P ('Fiddler-A')
First production variant.
Tu-128 ('Fiddler-B')
Definitive production version.
Tu-128UT
Training version with an additional cockpit forward of the normal pilot's cockpit, in place of a radar. 10 built and 4 converted from fighters.
Tu-138
Upgrade project, abandoned in favour of other designs.
Tu-148
Upgrade project, abandoned in favour of other designs.
