Norwegian fifth-generation F-35A fighters escorted a pair of Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers in neutral airspace over the Barents Sea. This was reported by Military Watch Magazine.
In turn, the missile carriers were escorted by Su-35 fighters of the "4++" generation from the "Russian Knights" aerobatic team.
Such an encounter is unusual because the Su-35s of the "Russian Knights" are usually used to perform aerobatic maneuvers at air shows and military parades, rather than to escort heavy bombers.
So far, the Ministry of Defence has not officially reported on the flight of the Tu-95MS and Su-35 over the neutral waters of the Barents Sea.
A number of publications reported that the Tu-95MS may have received a new subsonic cruise missile called "Izdeliye-30" with a range of up to 1,500 km.
Read more on the topic:
- The Tu-95MS "Bear" may receive hypersonic missiles for the first time
- The secret weapon of the Cold War: how the Tu-95 bomber frightened the West with a single flight
- Russia's strategic aviation: the Tu-95MS and Tu-160 await modernization, while the Tu-22M3 is keeping pace
