Russian Strategic Aviation Today

The Russian Air Force's strategic bomber component was inherited from the Soviet Air Force after the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Russia began by recovering some of the heavy bomber assets left outside its borders, the Tu-95MS Bear-Hs based in Kazakhstan, eight Tu-160 Blackjacks, and three Tu-95MS Backfire-Cs of the bomber fleet taken over by the Ukraine. Flown by the Russian Air Force's 37th Air Army, these bombers were involved in, amongst others, the military operation to stop the Georgian aggression against South Ossetia in August 2008. President Putin's ride in a Tu-160 during a major exercise in which he performed a live missile launch is well documented, as is a visit to Venezuela by three Tu-160s which caused much dismay in the USA. Russian Strategic Aviation Today includes a development and design history of the Blackjack, Bear, and Backfire, their armament, unit badges, and insignia of the Russian units operating them. Backed up by around 600 photographs, many previously unreleased, detailed line drawings and color profiles including individual names and nose art, this book provides a wealth of information for the historian and modeler alike. Russian Strategic Aviation Today is a companion volume to Soviet Strategic Aviation - In the Cold War, which together present a unique insight into the strategic aircraft of the Soviet and Russian air forces since 1945.