The geography of Russian supersonic rocket aircraft flights will be expanded; the Defense Ministry will strengthen protection of the Arctic with the help of Tu-160 plans, the long-range aviation commander of the Russian Air and Space Force Sergey Kobylash has said in an interview with Krasnaya Zvezda.
According to him, last year the Tu-22M3 planes landed for the first time in Anadyr and Vorkuta, and this year it is planned to send Tu-160 there as well. "Now the Arctic is of strategic importance for us, that's why we are developing new aerodromes and products, which will ensure the country's security in the maritime borders and in this direction. With the broadening of the spectrum and the scale the tasks are also increasing and hence the requirements for the command of long-range aviation," the commander said.
He added that modernization of the strategic missile base in the city of Engels, where the runway has already been reconstructed, is currently underway. The construction of headquarters, other necessary buildings and structures is yet to come in order to comprehensively and maximally ensure the activities of the long-range aviation.