According to Russian press reports, the MInistry of Defense begins a modernization program that will equip Tu-95MS bombers with new avionics and allow the aircraft to remain in service until 2020-2025 and probably longer - until 2035. Izvestia quotes a source in the Russian Air Forces Main Staff as saying that the upgrade will allow the Tu-95MS bombers to carry the new Kh-101 long-range cruise missile.
In the last START data exchange that took place in 2009, Russia declared 63 deployed Tu-95MS bombers. According to the report, only 32 of them remain operational today and "about 60 aircraft" are in storage.
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I am interested in the source of the "32 operational bombers" claim. Izvestia seems to omit the source and just presen the number as fact.
Could it possibly be the same Kornukov, with name omitted because this information is in fact classified? The whole thing seems pretty dodgy to me.
Some aspects of Russian bombers modernization:
http://www.vif2ne.ru/nvk/forum/0/archive/2363/2363383.htm
http://aomiea.ru/documentation/infactsionery/god%20otchet%2029.doc
So they lost half of the fleet in just 3 years? They relly need to shape up.
I suspect the lack of qualified air crews adds to the mission rate of the Bears. JMO
Frank Shuler
USA