Russian Bombers Fly Undetected in US Artic Zone

**Brian Baldwin** · April 22nd, 2006, 16:27

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1619441/posts

MOSCOW, April 22 (RIA Novosti) - Russian military planes flew undetected through the U.S. zone of the Arctic Ocean to Canada during recent military exercises, a senior Air Force commander said Saturday.
The commander of the country's long-range strategic bombers, Lieutenant General Igor Khvorov, said the U.S. Air Force is now investigating why its military was unable to detect the Russian bombers.
"They were unable to detect the planes either with radars or visually," he said.
Khorov said that during the military exercises in April, Tu-160 Blackjack bombers and Tu-95 Bears had successfully carried out four missile launches. Bombing exercises were held using Tu-22 Blinders.
By the end of the year, two more Tu-160s will be commissioned for the long-range strategic bomber fleet, Khorov said. Both new planes will incorporate numerous upgrades from the initial Soviet models, the commander said. The bombers will be able to launch both cruise missiles and aviation bombs, and communicate via satellite.

**Sean Osborne** · April 23rd, 2006, 15:38

Russian Strategic Aviation Forces

Strategic Aviation

Strategic aviation units form the 37th Air Army of the Supreme High Command (Strategic) of the Russian Air Force. The commander of the 37th army â€” Maj. General Igor Khvorov â€” was appointed by a presidential decree of 15 November 2002.

As of October 2005, the 37th Air Army included 78 strategic bombers that can carry up to 872 long-range cruise missiles.

Number of bombers		Total cruise missiles
Bomber	Number of cruise missiles and their type
Tu-95MS6 (Bear H6)	32	6 Kh-55 (AS-15A)	192
Tu-95MS16 (Bear H16)	32	16 Kh-55 (AS-15A)	512
Tu-160 (Blackjack)	14	12 Kh-55SM (AS-15B)	168
Total	78		872

Strategic aviation units

The 37th Air Army includes two heavy-bomber divisions of Tu-160 and Tu-95MS aircraft. In addition to these, the army includes four divisions of Tu-22M3 (Backfire C) bombers.

The 22nd Guards Heavy-Bomber Division, based in Engels (Saratov oblast), includes two bomber regiments: the 121st Guards regiment of Tu-160 bombers and the 184th regiment of Tu-95MS bombers. The division currently includes 14 Tu-160 aircraft and 18 Tu-95MS bombers. Two new Tu-160 aircraft are expected to join the division in 2005.

In addition to this, the 22nd division may include the 203rd Regiment of Il-78 tankers, which is based in Ryazan. Ryazan is also a place of a training center, which can be used a base for bombers of the division (as of July 2005, six Tu-95MS bombers were deployed in Ryazan).

The 326th Heavy-Bomber Division is based in Ukrainka (Khabarovsk kray). The division includes the 79th regiment and 182nd Guards regiments of Tu-95MS bombers. The total number of bombers deployed in Ukrainka is 40.
Strategic bombers

The Tu-95MS (Bear H) strategic bomber was developed at the A. N. Tupolev Design Bureau. Serial production of the bomber continued from 1984 to 1991 at the aviation plant in Kuybyshev (currently Aviakor Aviation Plant, Samara). The bomber is equipped with turboprop engines. It can carry six Kh-55 cruise missiles in the bomb bay. The Tu-95MS16 version of the bomber can carry additional ten missiles under wings, but this significantly reduces bomber's range.

The Tu-160 (Blackjack) strategic bomber was developed at the A. N. Tupolev Design Bureau and produced at the aviation plant in Kazan (currently S. P. Gorbunov Kazan Aviation Production Association). The bomber can carry 12 Kh-55 cruise missiles in the bomb bay. One of the two new Tu-160 bombers that are expected to join the force in 2005 will be equipped for carrying gravity bombs.
Cruise missiles

The Kh-55 (AS-15, RKV-500A) long-range air-launched cruise missiles were developed at the Raduga Design Bureau (Dubna, Moscow oblast). Production of the missiles began in 1983 at the Dubna Machine-Building Plant. The Kh-55SM (AS-15B, RKV-500B) version of the missile, which can be deployed on Tu-160 bombers, has extra fuel tanks and extended range. In 1999 Russia tested an improved version of the Kh-55 missiles, which became known as Kh-555. Reportedly, this missile is a non-nuclear version of Kh-55. It will be carried by Tu-160 bombers.

Russia is currently developing a new long-range cruise missile, which would probably replace Kh-55. The conventional version of the new missile is known as Kh-101, the nuclear version is usually referred to as Kh-102.

Last modified: 04 Apr 2006

http://russianforces.org/eng/aviation/

**Sean Osborne** · April 23rd, 2006, 16:03

I got a kick from reading some of the morons posting replies to the FreeRepublic thread Brian linked above. Here's a real gem from among the replies - its indicative of some of the idiots posting to such FR threads, and why I usually don't bother reading that mindnumbing rubbish. Bold yellow mine for emphasis.

To: JimRed
No way a Tu-160 is stealthy in any way. It has a RCS of a billboard. Those counter rotating props would light up my radar detector in my SUV!

42 posted on 04/22/2006 8:18:08 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$

To: mad_as_he$$
You're right; I'd forgotten that it is a prop driven aircraft.

43 posted on 04/22/2006 8:30:25 AM PDT by JimRed

TU-160 (NATO designated "BLACKJACK")

Props? What props? The TU-160 has always been an afterburning supersonic strategic bomber ( This warbirds afterburners create 50,000+ lbs of thrust and a top speed of Mach 2+) She is quite comparable to the US B1.

The Russian Air Force is planning a limited upgrade for the Tu-160 fleet. The first stage of the upgrade will equip the aircraft with the conventional armed Kh-101 and Kh-555 cruise missiles, as well as the new Sigma fire control system for these missiles. The Tu-160 will carry up to 12 of the Kh-101, which uses a electro-optical terminal homing system. The Kh-555 is a reworked Kh-55SM, which uses the Kh-101 homing system and replaces the nuclear warhead with a conventional one. The Tu-160 upgrade also adds the Kh-102 strategic missile, medium range subsonic Kh-SD and the Kh-41 medium range supersonic weapon. Other upgrades include navigation, communication and self-defence systems. The upgrades, carried out by KAPO at Kazan, extend the service life of the Tu-160 until at least 2020-2025. The first two Tu-160 bombers carrying conventional cruise missiles will be stationed at the Air Force base near Engels in the Saratov region in 2005.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/wo...sia/tu-160.htm

Bring a topic here and forget about having to read the certain number of the posting idiots at FreeRepublic.

**Brian Baldwin** · April 23rd, 2006, 16:44

Yep... I don't usually read much of the replies. They're still an excellent source of compiled news though.

**Sean Osborne** · April 23rd, 2006, 20:07

Brian,

Yes, I agree. FR is a good source for news items which we cannot all possibly read or locate on our own. As far as that goes there is always www.libertypost.org as an alternative source for a whole range of different categories of breaking news reporting as well as news archives.

**Ryan Ruck** · April 27th, 2006, 16:45

I guess NORAD ain't what it used to be.

All that is needed is these runs to be the real deal and we are in real deep doodoo (read decapitation strike).

Also, I really don't believe those "official" numbers that Sean posted. I suspect there are many more than are "officially" admitted to. Though, I do find it interesting that the Ruskies are turning out new Tu-160s (and I suspect that they are building more than the "official" 2 per year listed).