Russian Tu-160 bombers fly 10,000 km to Venezuela for exercises
A squadron of Tu-160s and 100 Russian soldiers have been sent to Venezuela for the third time in 10 years, aiming to strengthen bilateral defense relations.
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Tu-160 bomber at Caracas international airport on December 10. Photo:TASS. |
A Russian Air Force formation of two Tu-160 strategic bombers, an An-124 heavy transport aircraft and an Il-62 passenger plane landed at the international airport in Caracas, Venezuela, yesterday. The Russian forces are expected to conduct joint exercises with the Venezuelan Air Force, but did not disclose information about the activity.according toAFP.
The Russian aircraft group made a 10,000 km journey over the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Norwegian Air Force deployed F-16 fighters to tail the Tu-160s for part of the flight.
"The exercise shows that we are ready to defend every inch of Venezuelan territory if necessary. This is what we do with our friends around the world," Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said at a welcoming ceremony for the Russian aircraft.
The move comes shortly after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro visited Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his support during a meeting with his Venezuelan counterpart last week.
| Journey to Venezuela of the Russian Tu-160 squadron in 2008. Video: Wings of Russia. |
The Russian Air Force sent Tu-160s to Venezuela in 2008 and 2013 for exercises to show support for Caracas. Padrino said the deployment was “a completely new experience” that would help improve the ability of the two countries’ aerospace defense systems to coordinate operations.
Russia and Venezuela have been strengthening their defense ties in recent years. Caracas has spent billions of dollars to buy 24 Su-30MK2 fighters, 53 Mi-24 helicopter gunships and 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles from Moscow.
The Tu-160 is Russia's most powerful and modern strategic bomber, nicknamed "White Swan" thanks to its radiation-reflecting paint and rare maneuverability for a bomber.The aircraft can operate in all weather conditions, day and night, and in any region of the world.
The Tu-160 has a maximum speed of 2,220 km/h, an unrefueled range of 12,300 km and a combat radius of 7,300 km.The main weapons of this bomber are two rotary launchers, which can carry up to 40 tons of weapons including 12 Kh-101 cruise missiles with a range of 1,500-2,500 km or Kh-15 nuclear missiles with a range of 300 km.
