Posted by
Dawnsblood on Monday, October 02, 2006 6:57:15 PM
It seems the Russians are trying to
rebuild their weakened power projection game:
Russia recently conducted its first large scale
heavy bomber exercises since the end of the Cold War. Some fifty
Tu-160s, Tu-95MSs and Tu-22Ms were involved. Since 1991, most Russian
heavy bombers have been kept on the ground. But in the last few years,
a force of bombers was refurbished. This including getting some Tu-160s
back from Ukraine (because half of the 36 Tu-160s built were stationed
in Ukraine when the Soviet Union was dissolved, and thus belonged to
Ukraine). Only about fourteen Tu-160s are still operational, plus about
fifty Tu-22Ms and about the same number of Tu-95s. Exact numbers are
not available on the Tu-22Ms and Tu-95s, because both of these aircraft
serve other functions (reconnaissance, electronic warfare). Their
ability to perform as heavy bombers depends on the current state of
crew training and maintenance. Most of these aircraft are at least
twenty years old, and spare parts are sometimes difficult to get.
It seems they have decided to invest some of that heightened oil money in their Air Forces. If I were a Russian neighboring country, I'd be a bit more nervous then I normally am. Remember Estonia,
Latvia, and
Lithuania are members of both NATO and the EU and all three are Russian neighbors.