The Tupolev Aircraft Company will develop the modernized Tu-95MSM strategic missile-carrying bomber for Russia’s Defense Ministry, the company’s press office told TASS on Monday."The contract for creating the heavily-modernized Tu-95MSM aircraft has already been concluded," the company’s press office said.The details and the timeframe of the bomber’s heavy upgrade have not yet been disclosed. As the company’s press office said, the state trials of the operational Tu-95MS plane with the modernized engines are expected to be completed by the end of the year.The Tu-95MS strategic missile-carrying bomber is designated to accomplish strike missions to destroy major targets in remote military and geographical regions and deep in the rear of the continental theaters of operations with the employment of nuclear missile weapons.Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergei Shoigu earlier said that extending the service life of the strategic Tu-160 and Tu-95MS missile-carrying bombers and raising their combat efficiency were among priority tasks for Russia’s Defense Ministry.The Russian defense minister also said that the Tupolev would repair eight strategic Tu-160 and Tu-95MS missile-carrying bombers by the end of 2018.
TASS