As a strategic bomber it was assumed that the aircraft would carry conventional drop bombs in addition to its expected nuclear war load. For reconnaissance work, cameras would accordingly be fitted and an anti-ship function was also bandied about - meaning that anti-ship missiles were another possible armament fit for the large aircraft. There were no planned onboard defensive cannons as seen in many other Soviet-era Cold War bombers.
A total of four airframes were worked on during the T-4 project with a fifth and six planned. The first was made available for review in the fall of 1971 but did not achieve a first flight until August 22nd, 1972. The Soviet Air Force was already planning for some 250 production-quality bombers built to the standard established by the T-4 prototype. Such a complex instrument required years of testing and the airframe was still being put to its paces into 1974.
With regards to the North American XB-70 program, that aircraft bomber program was cancelled 1961 as it ballooned into an expensive - if promising - venture but advancements in Soviet air defenses began to limit the effectiveness that a high-speed, high-flying bomber would have over the modern battlefield. The two prototypes were relegated to experimental status and a mid-air collision of one of the aircraft in June of 1966 forever stained the Valkyrie's legacy. The other ended its days as a preserved museum showpiece after its flying time had ceased.
The Soviets ultimately followed suit and gave up on their pursuit of a high-speed, high-altitude Mach 3 nuclear-capable bomber when it was deemed that the expensive, technology-laden aircraft actually held little value in the world of advancing missile technology. Furthermore the Soviet Air Force could expand its power quantitatively through procurement of more smaller aircraft of cheaper per-unit design than expend a hefty amount of resources on a contained collection of large bombers. This proved the case as the service elected to push through orders for fighter types instead and the T-4 was terminated on January 22nd, 1974, its performance capabilities never truly tested. The prototype managed just over ten hours in the air in its ten flights completed.
The sole completed flyable prototype - the next three were never finished and the fifth and sixth forms never materialized beyond their paper stage - joined the XB-70 as a preserved museum showpiece, it residing at the Central Air Force Museum outside of Moscow along with many other Cold War-era flying artifacts.
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