Tupolev Tu-141
Soviet unmanned aerial vehicle
Why this is trending
Interest in “Tupolev Tu-141” spiked on Wikipedia on 2026-02-25.
Categorised under Entertainment, this article fits a familiar pattern. Entertainment topics frequently surge on Wikipedia following major media events, premieres, or unexpected celebrity developments.
At GlyphSignal we surface these trending signals every day—transforming Wikipedia’s vast pageview data into actionable insights about global curiosity.
Key Takeaways
- The Tupolev Tu-141 Strizh ("Swift"; Russian: Туполев Ту-141 Стриж ) is a Soviet reconnaissance drone that served with the Soviet Army during the late 1970s and 1980s, as well as the Ukrainian Armed Forces since 2014.
- It is designed to undertake reconnaissance missions within a 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) radius, flying at transonic speeds.
- As with previous Tupolev designs, it has a dart-like rear-mounted delta wing, forward-mounted canards, and a KR-17A turbojet engine mounted above the tail.
- Operation and incidents The Tu-141 was in Soviet service from 1979 to 1989, mostly on the western borders of the Soviet Union.
- 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine After the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, the Tu-141 was repurposed as a long range loitering munition.
The Tupolev Tu-141 Strizh ("Swift"; Russian: Туполев Ту-141 Стриж) is a Soviet reconnaissance drone that served with the Soviet Army during the late 1970s and 1980s, as well as the Ukrainian Armed Forces since 2014.
Development
The Tu-141 was a follow-on to the Tupolev Tu-123 and is a relatively large, medium-range reconnaissance drone. It is designed to undertake reconnaissance missions within a 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) radius, flying at transonic speeds. It can carry a range of payloads, including film cameras, infrared imagers, EO imagers, and imaging radar..
As with previous Tupolev designs, it has a dart-like rear-mounted delta wing, forward-mounted canards, and a KR-17A turbojet engine mounted above the tail. It is launched from a trailer using a solid-propellant booster and lands with the aid of a tail-mounted parachute.
Operation and incidents
The Tu-141 was in Soviet service from 1979 to 1989, mostly on the western borders of the Soviet Union.
Russo-Ukrainian War
It was pressed back into service by the Ukrainian Air Force after 2014 for the war in Donbas.
2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, the Tu-141 was repurposed as a long range loitering munition.
On 8 March 2022, a Tu-141 reconnaissance drone was reported crashed in Ukraine.
Content sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0
