Two Russian Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers performed a planned flight over the neutral waters of the Sea of Japan and the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
"The fighter escort was provided by the crews of Su-35C aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces. The flight duration was more than nine hours. At certain stages of the route, Russian strategic missile carriers were accompanied by F-15 fighters of the Japanese Air Force, " the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The Ministry stressed that Russian long-range aviation crews regularly patrol the airspace over the neutral waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, Pacific, Black and Baltic Seas. "All flights of aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces are carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace," the Ministry of Defense noted.
To solve such problems, the command of the VKS attracts, among other things, the crews of the air base located in the Engels garrison near Saratov. Earlier, the commander of this guard unit, Major General Oleg Pchela, said: "In 2020, we carried out about ten air patrols over the neutral waters of the Arctic, the North Atlantic, the Black and Baltic Seas, and the Pacific Ocean. In August, we flew from the Engels airfield to the north-easternmost airfield of our country, Anadyr, in Chukotka, covering about seven thousand kilometers. The pilots of the unit took an active part in the SKSHU "Caucasus-2020" and the exercise "Slavic Brotherhood-2020", during which the crews worked out practical actions with the aviation of the Republic of Belarus. In addition, the flight crew of our compound on two strategic supersonic missile carriers Tu-160 set a new record for the range and duration of the flight, covering more than 20 thousand kilometers and being in the air for more than 25 hours."
According to the general, special attention is paid to the training of young pilots at the air base. And recently, such pilots, who achieved high performance during their studies in higher military institutions, were immediately appointed to the position of assistant commander of the Tu-160 ship.
I must say that the Engels air base is one of the largest formations of our aviation component of the nuclear deterrent forces. It is armed with strategic missile carriers Tu-160 and Tu-95MS, as well as long-range bombers Tu-22M3.
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Tu-95MS strategic bomber
This plane has long been registered in the Russian and world skies. For its impressive size - the wingspan of the Tupolev is more than 50 meters - and powerful weapons in the West, it is called Bear - "Bear". The Tu-95MS is used to defeat the most important targets in remote areas and in the deep rear of continental theaters of war.
Tu-160 strategic missile carrier
Our pilots affectionately call the air beauty "White Swan". In the West, it was given a different name Blackjack - "Blackjack". In terms of striking power, no strategic bomber in the world is ready to compete with the Tu-160. Its two special compartments can accommodate cruise missiles with a total weight of more than 22 tons. In addition, the Tupolev is capable of carrying nuclear bombs and mines on board. How accurately the Tu-160 launches cruise missiles, was once convinced by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who flew with the crew for combat use.
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A few years ago, the chief of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, said that our country has increased the intensity of strategic aviation flights to the level that was under the USSR. "If we compare the achieved indicators with those of the Soviet Union, the intensity of long-range aviation flights is maintained at the same level. At the same time, the raid on the crew of the Tu-160 and Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers increased by 10 percent per year," Gerasimov said at the time.
Yuri Gavrilov
