Russia Attacks Islamic State Targets Using Long Range Strategic Bombers

Russia bombed Islamic State (IS) targets yesterday using its Tupolev Tu-95 (Bear) and Tupolev Tu-160 (Blackjack) strategic bombers, as well as Tupolev Tu-22 (Blinder) medium bomber.

This marks the first time in Russian Air Force history that the Bear and the Blackjack have taken part in an “actual battle”, according to a Russian Defence Ministry statement released to the Russian media.

The aircraft launched a total of 34 cruise missiles destroying 13 key targets, Russian defense officials told President Vladimir Putin, according to Sputnik news.

These include command posts that were used to coordinate IS activities in the provinces of Idlib and Aleppo, munitions and supply depots in the northwestern part of Syria.

While it was officially released where the bombers took off for the mission against the IS, it is widely believed that the strategic bombers, capable of launching nuclear armed bombs, were operated from Russian airfields.

“The decision to field the long range bombers seems to have been taken in the light of multiple fighter aircraft flying combat missions over Syria-such as US F-16s and French Rafales. The Russian strategic bombers such as the Bear and Blackjack fly at altitudes of over 10,000 meters, thus out of reach of the Western planes”, a Russian source told Defenseworld.net.

Another reason could be the substantial bomb and missile load each of the aircraft is capable of carrying thus reducing the number of sorties required to accomplish the same goal as an increased number of sorties from a closer range as required by fighter-bomber aircraft.

Sputnik news said that since the beginning of the air campaign, Russian Aerospace Forces have carried out 1,800 sorties, destroying some 2,700 terrorist targets, killing “several hundreds of militants besides destroying dozens of command centres.”