Posted on 08/20/2015 1:16:29 PM PDT by Grzegorz 246
A Russian Tu-95 “Bear” strategic bomber crashed during routine training in Russia's Far East on Tuesday, news agency RIA Novosti reported, marking the second loss of a Tu-95 bomber and the sixth loss of a Russian military aircraft in a little over a month.
Russia's aging aircraft fleet has been called into heavy service over the past 18 months as relations with the West deteriorated over the crisis in Ukraine. The NATO military alliance has said it intercepted 400 Russian aircraft near its borders last year — a 50 percent increase over 2013.
The increased flight rate is taking a toll on Russia's fleets of MiG-29, Su-24 and Su-34 fighter jets, as well as the Tu-95 long-range bombers, all of which have experienced accidents since the beginning of June.
(Excerpt) Read more at themoscowtimes.com ...
Russian aircraft doing what they do best.
The TU-95s are old aircraft - they have the same problems our B-52 fleet has as it ages.
Hope no one was hurt.
That said — I’m glad another Russian bomber is gone.
With the oil price heading down, now slightly over $40/bbl, the chest-beating Putin can ill afford to lose these sorts of assets.
Putin’s conventional military is a dubious force.
All Tu-95s now in Russian service are the Tu-95MS variant, built in the 1980s and 1990s.
I think it was in Tom Clancy’s “Red Storm Rising”..he tells a story about Soviet Bear Pilots..sighting NATO forces..and reporting back to their base..” And now we die for the motherland..”
“I’m glad another Russian bomber is gone.”
If Russia gets close to running out of bombers I’m sure Obama will do something to help them out. After all, it’s after his election and he has ‘flexibility’ now.
Well, I hope they continue doing it. Saves us from having to do it to them in future.
That was the targeting TU-95 for the TU-16 attack bombers with 300nm ASMs. it was assumed the soviet recon plane radar would spot the carrier about the same time the CVBG long range CAP (w/F-14s and PHOENIX missiles) would spot the recon plane and shoot it down.
Ivan has only at most 65 Bears still operating. At the rate they are falling from the skies they will exhaust their inventory in a few years.
'Vlad, you've lost another plane?'
The Russkies need to retire those noisy old beasts. (Although I’m undoubtedly in a minority, I think the TU-95 is a beautiful airplane.)
You know something I don’t? B-52H is a rockin’ bird. The last accident was 8 years ago from a runaway trim. An avionics issue. The USAF has been on top of the B-52 with it’s retrofits.
He talks big but he hasn’t the money to improve Russia’s military.
Their airforce has old equipment and everyone knows their navy is a shell of what it use to be but the Army?
They have about a billion tanks so what does obammy do?
Get rid of the tank killer the A-10
Awesome....nothing wrong with your memory..
I think this may put them to less than 40 Bears left.
Buzzing the Californian coast does not appear to be a sustainable effort.
You have company on both points.
With slightly supersonic propeller tip speeds and 14,000 shp engines, the TU-95 is the loudest propeller driven aircraft in the world.
I, like you, also think the Tu-95 is one of the most beautiful propeller driven aircraft ever flown, especially in its pure bomber format:
https://elrobotpescador.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/tu-95.jpg
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