Designed due to the lack of a supersonic bomber capable of hitting the continental United States, the Tupolev Tu-22M 'Backfire' was one of the most feared weapons in the Soviet arsenal during the Cold War, posing a threat to trans-Atlantic shipping almost as great as the entire Soviet submarine fleet. It was designed to address many of the issues that plagued the Tu-22, retaining the designation to secure funding with Soviet authorities; though it was suspected that the Tu-22M designation was used during the SALT 2 negotiations to confuse Western sources into believing it was merely an upgraded Tu-22. Compared to the Tu-22, the 'Backfire' counted on a variable-geometry wing design and air intakes positioned on the side of the fuselage, a configuration more commonly found in fighters but which in turn gave it an impressive performance making it by far one of the most feared weapons in the entire Soviet arsenal. Its main weapon was the Kh-22 anti-ship cruise missile, which was carried semi-recessed into the lower fuselage. With inflight-refueling it could also hit the United States, though it was primarily geared towards hunting and sinking US carrier battle groups. Although many Tu-22Ms were retired after the collapse of the USSR, over a hundred remain in Russian service and have been consistently upgraded with new weapons and avionics. Tu-22Ms were first used in combat in the later stages of the Soviet Afghan War and have participated in other post-Cold War conflicts including the Chechnya and South Ossetia War. Most recently, they have been used extensively over Syria performing precision strikes with cruise missiles as well as area bombing.

The Tu-22M0 first flew on 30 August 1969 and was spotted by satelites later that year. Its true designation was unknown leading Western analysts to conclude erroneously that this aircraft was designated Tu-26. The initial production version was later known to be the Tu-22M1 'Backfire-A' but proved to be unsatisfactory, this prompted a major redesign which resulted in the Tu-22M2 'Backfire-B' with new avionics and a defensive tail gun. A new variant known as the Tu-22M3 'Backfire-C' was later developed and features wedge-type inlets similar to fighters like the MiG-25 and MiG-31 as well as improved performance figures like increased range and speed, as well as double the payload of the Tu-22M2. A more advanced radar and nav/attack system was also incorporated, as was an aerial refueling probe though later removed as a result of SALT arms reduction treaties. A maritime reconnaissance version was also built and designated Tu-22MR. Finally, the Tu-22M3M has a substantially improved avionics suite and can use a wider variety of air-to-ground armament including precision weapons as well as air-launched ballistic missiles. It is not yet in service.