The Diplomat:
More than 10 Tupolev Tu-22M3 long-range strategic and maritime strike bombers of the Russian Air Force carried out an airstrike on an airfield of the simulated enemy in the Zabaikalsky Territory as part of the Vostok 2018 military exercise, Russia’s Ministry of Defense (MOD) said in a September 15 press release. During the attack, the aircraft dropped unguided bombs weighing up to 500 kilograms (over 1,100 pounds).
The Tu-22M3 is a supersonic variable-sweep wing bomber first introduced into service with the Soviet Air Force and Soviet Naval Aviation in the 1970s. The Russian Air Force currently operates around 60 Tu-22M3s, although it is unclear how many of those aircraft are flightworthy. Last month, the first prototype of an upgraded variant of the Tu-22M3, designated Tu-22M3M, was rolled out at a United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) plant in Kazan. The Russian MoD plans to upgrade at least 30 Tu-22M3s to the more advanced M3M variant with the first prototype of the aircraft expected to be delivered to the Russian Air Force for testing next month…
