Russia deploys 10 aircraft for exercises near US airspace.

On August 16, the Russian Air Force deployed a squadron of Tu-160 and Tu-95MS long-range bombers and IL-78 refueling aircraft for exercises in an area near Alaska, USA.Business Insiderciting a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The Russian Defense Ministry said a total of 10 aircraft participated in the exercise. Two Tu-160s flew more than 6,000 km from Saratov base in southwestern Russia and landed at Anadyr base on the Chukotka Peninsula.

Under the command of Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash, Russian bombers conducted a target attack scenario in the Komi region before flying over the Arctic Ocean. Before returning to base, the crews of the two Tu-160 bombers performed an in-flight refueling exercise.

This marks the first time the Russian Tu-160 supersonic strategic bomber has participated in exercises near US airspace. In May, Moscow also deployed a Tu-95 aircraft that flew close to Alaskan airspace, forcing two US Air Force F-22 stealth fighters to scramble and monitor it from a distance of 100 meters.

Alaska is home to 44 interceptor missiles of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, America's last line of defense against enemy intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Nicknamed the "White Swan," the Tu-160 is capable of carrying long-range attack missiles and is the largest, heaviest, and most powerful supersonic aircraft in the Russian military aviation industry. The White Swan entered service with the Russian military in 1987. Russia currently has only 16 Tu-160s, and the military plans to produce an additional 50 upgraded Tu-160M2 versions starting in 2023.

Nguyen Hoang