operational procedures. Snap military drills
tested the ability of bomber crews to y
to forward operating bases with minimal
notice, and long-range patrols over the
Atlantic and Paci c Oceans restarted.
Although the VKS was augmented by
the transfer of a dozen Tu-22MRs from the
Russian Navy in 2011, the overall number
of airframes in front-line service was
reduced due to continuing budget cuts.
In 2015, it was estimated that 16 Tu-160s,
around 60 Tu-55MS/MSMs and between
66 and 70 Tu-22s were in service.Going to war
The Russian intervention in Syria that
began in 2015 was a chance for therevamped Long-Range Aviation to ex
its muscles. When a Metrojet Airbus
A321-231 was blown up in the skies over
Egypt on October 31, it was clear that
Russia was now an IS target. The 224
passengers killed were mostly Russian
citizens. Almost as soon as the cause
and the culprit of the airliner bombing
had been clearly identi ed, the VKS’
Long-Range Aviation arm swung into
action. In Operation ‘Reprisal’, Tu-95MS
and Tu-160 bombers completed their
rst live combat missions alongside
the veteran Tu-22M3s between
November 17-20.
A key part in the Russian campaign
was the activation of a so-called AirOVER SYRIA
to embrace more relevant conventional
or theater-level missions.
The use of ‘Back res’ to strike targets
in Georgia with iron bombs during the
2008 war was a good illustration of
Long-Range Aviation’s evolving concept
of conventional strike operations, but it
highlighted weaknesses in both readiness
and equipment as a Tu-22M3 was downed
by anti-aircraft re. Over time, aircraft
were overhauled and brought back into
front-line service. A few new weapons
were integrated — although the crude
‘dumb’ bombs have also prevailed — but
crucially, money was released to begin
ramping up exercises to increase crew
competence alongside new tactics andRED STAR BOMBERSRED STAR BOMBERS
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