Russia is actively working not only to maintain but also to expand its fleet of strategic and long-range bombers. Recent information indicates that the country is allocating substantial resources toward the repair and modernization of these aircraft.
A report from the private intelligence firm Dallas draws on intercepted internal documents that provide detailed insights into the condition of key aircraft, including the Tu-95MS, Tu-160, and Tu-22M3M. The documents also specify the factories involved in the overhaul process, outline the current progress of the work, and list the associated modernization costs.
In March of this year, two major Russian aerospace facilities were awarded contracts for the overhaul of Tu-95MS bombers. The work is set to be carried out by the 360th Aircraft Repair Plant in Ryazan and the Taganrog Aviation Scientific and Technical Complex. Both facilities have a history of servicing Tu-95MS aircraft, and Taganrog has previously handled upgrades to the Tu-95MSM standard.
The total cost for overhauling six Tu-95MS bombers is estimated at \$316.42 million, though the two facilities involved provided different assessments. The plant in Ryazan priced its portion of the work at \$131.66 million, while the Taganrog facility quoted \$184.76 million. On average, this amounts to roughly \$52.7 million per aircraft. At this point, there is no clear timeline for when the modernization will be completed.
Meanwhile, internal routing documents from the leadership of the Tupolev design bureau reveal additional details about ongoing operations at the Kazan Aviation Plant. The facility is currently working on seven Tu-160 bombers, identified by serial numbers 705, 801, 401, 703, 804, 904, and 905. Given the limited number of aircraft, the ability to track each one individually points to a closely monitored and tightly controlled fleet. Notably, bombers with serial numbers 904 and 905 are recent builds, though they were assembled using parts left over from the Soviet era.
The documents suggest that six out of the 18 known operational Tu-160 bombers in Russia are currently undergoing repair or modernization at the same time. One of them – aircraft number 705 – is already at a flight test station, which likely indicates it is either in the final phase of internal checks or undergoing acceptance trials.
The same Kazan plant is also handling the modernization of Tu-22M3M bombers. One of them – aircraft number 8301 – is already in the flight testing phase. This means that, as of now, two Tu-22M3M units are undergoing upgrades at the facility.
The documents also reference Russia’s next-generation stealth bomber project, referred to as “Product 80.” While the preliminary design was approved back in 2021, the program has faced repeated delays. Initial expectations were for testing to begin in 2022, but even within Russian defense circles, there is currently no clear timeline for when the project might be completed.
As a reminder, we recently reported that Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian Tu-22M3 bomber – estimated to be worth around $100 million – using a drone. The unmanned aerial vehicle struck the aircraft after it had landed at the Shaykovka military airfield.
Source: united24media
