Russian Air Force to take delivery of four upgraded Tu-95MS strategic bombers

Four Tu-95MS will soon join the Russian Air Force, according to Lt Gen Sergey Kobylash, commander of the Long-Range Aviation Command. The planes feature upgraded glass cockpit, digital avionics, as well as electronic warfare equipment. The modernization effort will have a lasting effect on the Tu-95 fleet, extending their life cycle by 45 to 50 years, the general said. The aircraft was designed in the late 1950s to carry nuclear bombs, but was later upgraded for a range of cruise missiles.