Tupolev Tu-143

The Tupolev Tu‑143 “Reys” is a Soviet‑built, jet‑propelled reconnaissance drone that entered service in the late 1970s. Designed by the Tupolev design bureau to provide rapid, high‑altitude battlefield surveillance, its development began in 1972 and the prototype made its first flight in 1976. Serial production started shortly thereafter, and the aircraft was deployed by the Soviet Air Forces, later by the Russian Federation and several allied states. The Tu‑143 is a compact, single‑engine, twin‑boom vehicle with a length of 14.6 m and a 5‑m wingspan. Powered by a Tumansky R‑11 turbojet, it cruises at about 900 km/h, can reach a service ceiling of 12 000 m, and has an operational range of roughly 1 200 km. It carries a nose‑mounted optical camera and a side‑looking radar, both linked to an autonomous navigation system; after a mission the drone is recovered by parachute. Its ability to launch from a ground catapult and return without a runway made it ideal for front‑line use during the Afghan war and later conflicts. The Tu‑143 marked one of the first practical combat UAVs, demonstrating the value of high‑speed, high‑altitude unmanned reconnaissance and influencing later Russian and Western drone programmes.

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