Russia is about to launch a strategic bomber carrying 4 Kinzhal super missiles

"The Tu-22M3M series launch ceremony will take place at the Kazan aircraft factory on August 16. The aircraft will make its first flight in the third quarter of this year,"TASSquoted a representative of the Tupolev aircraft corporation today.

Tupolev plans to produce at least 30 Tu-22M3Ms. An anonymous source in the Russian defense industry confirmed that each bomber can carry up to four Kh-47M2 "Kinzhal" hypersonic anti-ship missiles. The missile range on the Tu-22M3M will reach 3,000 km, compared to 2,000 km when equipped on the MiG-31K fighter.

Analysts say that carrying four Kinzhal missiles will help the Tu-22M3M bombers deal more effectively with targets protected by modern multi-layered air defense systems. It also helps the Russian Defense Ministry save costs by utilizing old aircraft, instead of developing and producing new aircraft to carry Kinzhal missiles.

The Tu-22M3M is an upgraded version of the Tu-22M3 strategic bomber, put into operation by the Soviet Union in 1983, with the main function of destroying US aircraft carrier formations.

They are designed to carry large Kh-22 long-range anti-ship missiles, while Washington does not possess any weapons with equivalent technical and tactical features. This makes the Tu-22M3 line called "aircraft carrier killers".

Military expert Viktor Murakhovsky said that the Tu-22M3M bombers will be significantly upgraded to operate the Kinzhal missile. "The electronic system must be modernized, along with the reinforcement of the weapon pylons and the airframe to mount the missile, as well as increasing the operational life," he said.