Russian Bear Bombers Fly Over Sea of Japan

Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers, known in NATO classification as “Bear,” have carried out a scheduled flight over the Sea of Japan, the Ministry of Defense reported.

“The strategic Tu-95MS long-range bombers completed a planned flight in the airspace over neutral waters of the Sea of Japan. The flight lasted more than 11 hours,” the ministry said in a statement.

The bombers were escorted by Su-35S and Su-30SM fighter jets from the Russian Aerospace Forces. At certain stages of the route, the aircraft were also shadowed by fighters from foreign air forces.

“Long-range aviation crews regularly conduct flights over neutral waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Black Sea, and Baltic Sea,” the Defense Ministry emphasized.

According to the ministry, all flights of the Russian Aerospace Forces are carried out in full compliance with international airspace regulations and safety standards.

Details

The Tupolev Tu-95 (Russian: Туполев Ту-95; NATO reporting name: "Bear") is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Long-Range Aviation of the Soviet Air Forces in 1956 and was first used in combat in 2015. It is expected to serve the Russian Aerospace Forces until at least 2040. The aircraft has four Kuznetsov NK-12 engines with contra-rotating propellers. It is the only turboprop-powered strategic bomber still in operational use today. The Tu-95 is one of the loudest military aircraft, particularly because the tips of the propeller blades move faster than the speed of sound. Its distinctive swept-back wings are set at an angle of 35°. The Tu-95 is the only propeller-driven aircraft with swept wings built in large numbers.

Subscribe to Pravda.Ru Telegram channel, Facebook, RSS!

Author`s name Pavel Morozov