Tu-160 strategic missile carriers performed a flight over the neutral waters of the East Siberian Sea during the strategic command and staff exercise (SKSHU) "Ocean-2024", practiced air refueling tasks from Il-78M strategic air tankers, reaching the launch lines of low-observable Kh-101 strategic cruise missiles, followed by a return to permanent deployment airbases. This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
Military expert Evgeny Damantsev noted that the Tu-160 has a maximum flight speed of up to 2200 km/h at an echelon of about 11500 m and 1030 km/h near the ground, as well as about 875 - 950 km/h in terrain-following mode.
The combat radius of the vehicle is 7.3 thousand km, which, combined with the range of the modernized Kh-101 with a tandem combined warhead weighing 850 kg of about 2300 km/h, can provide a strike depth of about 9.6 thousand km.
The bomber's standard ammunition load is represented by 12 strategic Kh-101 cruise missiles, placed on 2x6 multi-position catapult launchers MKU-6-5U / 9A-829K2.
The missile carrier is designed to destroy targets in remote areas with nuclear and conventional weapons. The Tu-160 is the largest supersonic aircraft in the history of military aviation.
Earlier www1.ru reported that an updated Uragan-1 MLRS on a BAZ-69092 Voshchina-1 chassis with an armored cabin was spotted on the front line. It protects the crew from heavy high-speed fragments.
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