Russian Federation’s Tu-160 supersonic strategic bombers have received new X-BD cruise missiles with a launch range of over 6,500 kilometres. This was reported in the Russian Ministry of Defence.
Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash, commander of the long-range aviation of the Russian Air Force, said that Russian Tu-160s have acquired new cruise missiles that can be launched from almost 7,000 kilometres away. The aircraft’s new capabilities were presented during a visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to the Knevichi airfield in Vladivostok.
“X-BD missiles with a range of more than 6,500,000 kilometres,” Kobylash said.
The commander of the long-range aviation of the Russian Air Force stressed that the payload capacity of the supersonic strategic bomber is 100 tonnes. At the same time, the Russian defence minister noted that the Tu-160 is equipped with two cassettes of six cruise missiles each.
In addition to the Tu-160, the North Korean leader was presented with the Tu-22M3 long-range supersonic missile-carrying bomber and the Tu-95MS turboprop strategic bomber.