"Bears" back on Russian and NATO radar screens

Russian long-range bombers are patrolling the skies on a regular basis once again. And the backbone of the country's strategic fleet remains the TU-95 “Bear”, an aircraft many consider to be a Cold War legend.

It may be colossal, noisy, and old, but it's still daunting. After almost 15 years of silence in the skies, Russia has decided to resume regular long-range patrol flights. And the exotic-looking TU-95 strategic bombers are back on Russian and NATO radar screens again.

The main advantage of this plane is that it is very reliable and simple, so it is easy to maintain it. In the late 1940s, Joseph Stalin ordered the creation of a bomber that could fly to the U.S. and back. And they had to be capable of delivering deadly nukes. Several jet versions of the aircraft were presented. But all stopped short of the necessary requirements.

Realising that the jet engines at the time weren't durable enough to perform transatlantic flights, the designer Tupolev, looked to the turboprop instead. And it proved to be the right decision.It made its first public appearance in 1955.

Now the engines that move this strategic bomber are one of a kind. It is the only airplane that uses the coaxial system of the rotor engine which pretty much allows it to go for very long distances.

Experts believe it still has a bright future.