Russian strategic nuclear bombers conducted a practice exercise that involved a simulated cruise missile attack on the United States, according to military intelligence sources.
The strategic bomber flights included Tu-95MS Bear H and Tu-160 Blackjack bombers that took off Sept. 6 from bases at Engels and Urainka and were redeployed at bases in Anadyr, Vorkuta and Tiksi, Col. Col Aleksandr Drobyshevsky, a military spokesman, told Itar-Tass.
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| Tupolev Tu-160
Blackjack launches a Kh-55 cruise missile.
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According to the intelligence sources, 12 of the Tu-95s conducted an exercise over the arctic that involved a 48-hour strategic cruise missile strike on the United States.
The Bear H are believed to have six Raduga Kh-55 Garnet or the Raduga Kh-55SM cruise missiles. “These cruise missiles have a range of over 1,800 miles and carry a 200kt nuclear warhead,” one source stated. “The Bear H16 variant carries 16 of these cruise missiles — six on a rotary launcher in the bomb bay, 10 and on external wing hard points.”
One configuration of twelve Tu-95s would have 72 aim points for the 200 kiloton warheads, and 12 aircraft configured in the second would provide 192 aim points for 200 kiloton warheads over the reported 48-hour duration of this exercise.
The two Tu-95 variants are known as H6 and H16 and are based at Engels and Urainka.
The sources said the exercise would have involved sorties by the bombers to forward launch points prior to the exercise, in-flight refueling to get them within range of the United States but outside the U.S. air defense envelope to enable a launch followed by escape and evasion back to home bases.
A U.S. military spokesman said the bombers were closely monitored by military surveillance sensors during the exercise.