By mobilizing up to 25 heavy bombers to join a campaign to attack the Islamic State, Moscow is demonstrating the overwhelming power as well as the combat readiness of the Russian army.

Russian Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bomber. Photo: Reuters

Russia yesterday announced that the cause of the crash of its passenger plane in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, late last month, was terrorism. A homemade bomb with a destructive power equivalent to 1.5 kg of TNT was detonated on the Airbus A321 of the low-cost airline Kogalymavia (Metrojet), killing 224 people on board, said Aleksandr Bortnikov, director of the Russian Federal Security Service. Previously, the Islamic State (IS) militants claimed responsibility for the incident. In response, the Kremlin launched the largest air campaign against IS targets in Syria on the same day, according to National Interest.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced that a series of missiles were launched from the country's strategic bombers such as Tupolev Tu-22M3 Backfire, Tu-95MS Bear and Tu-160 Blackjack. All three models can fly thousands of kilometers and carry more than 20 tons of weapons and ammunition. In addition, Russian warships in the Mediterranean also fired cruise missiles at Raqqa, the center of IS in Syria.

In the first wave of strikes, more than 10 Tu-22M3 bombers repeatedly attacked IS-controlled positions in Raqqa and Deir Ezzor provinces. Then, a squadron of Tu-160 supersonic bombers and Tu-95MS Bear four-rotor bombers launched a salvo of 34 air-to-surface cruise missiles at militant facilities in Aleppo and Idlib. This operation marked the first time in many years that Russian strategic bombers took part in combat.

The 25 Moscow bombers were also escorted by eight Su-34 Fullback fighters and four Su-30SM multirole fighters. The Su-34 Fullbacks contributed to the destruction of two fuel stations and 50 vehicles of the extremists. As a result, the terrorists' ability to illegally export oil was significantly reduced, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

In addition, Russian President Vladimir Putin also requested the Moskva, a Slava-class cruiser operating in the Mediterranean, to coordinate operations with French forces in the region. This move is an initial sign that Russia and some Western countries are getting closer in the fight against IS, although there is still a long way to go to reach a level of substantive cooperation, experts said.

France is stepping up efforts to fight IS after the group carried out a series of six deadly attacks in Paris on November 13, killing at least 129 people and injuring more than 300.

The Charles De Gaulle, France’s only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, is said to be heading to the region to begin bombarding IS positions. Although the ship is only half the size of a US Navy Nimitz or Ford-class aircraft carrier, it is equipped with a host of the most modern fighter jets such as the Rafale, Super Étendard fighter jets, and E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft. By design, the Charles De Gaulle can also carry larger fighter jets such as the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

Daily Beast columnist David Axe described Moscow’s latest preemptive strike against IS as “one of the largest and most complex air operations in modern history,” signaling that Russia plans to further intensify its airstrikes in Syria and revive its heavy bomber fleets that have been mothballed due to lack of funding.

The deployment of up to 25 heavy bombers in one attack mission is also seen as a bold move by the Kremlin, as Russia's arsenal currently has only about 70 Backfires, 58 Bears and 13 Blackjacks. The impressive scale of the operation also demonstrates that Moscow's combat readiness has improved significantly. In the 1990s or early 2000s, Russia had to ground most of its fighter jets because it could not afford to buy fuel and pay pilots.

"When 25 of the world's most powerful fighter jets attack at the same time, it's more than just an air strike. It's a statement to the world," Axe commented.

By comparison, US bombers on missions usually fly alone or in pairs, and very rarely fly in large numbers like the way Russia did in yesterday's campaign.

Ivan Konovalov, director of the Center for Strategic Research, said the participation of Russian bombers in missions to attack IS targets shows Moscow's great potential in using different types of weapons and methods to handle combat situations, demonstrating "the strength and flexibility of the Russian army" when dealing with terrorism.

According to VNE