Bomber introduced in 1956 makes a final exit under START agreement

Published: 1/27/2000

The last remaining basic turboprop powered Tu-95 strategic bomber first introduced in 1956 has been scrapped at Engels airbase in the Saratov region, although the strategic air command has retained several modernised Tu-95MS; capable of carrying air launched long range cruise missiles, which have been recently supplemented by the purchase of three Ukrainian Tu-95MSs in a planes for gas deal delivered to the Engels base over the last three months. According to Anatoly Kurgannikov, commander of the airbase, it costs between 15,000 and 17,000 rubles to scrap the aircraft and the scrap costs recoup the expenditure through the sale of metal parts and that any profit would be invested in the construction of accommodation for military personnel. The decommissioning equipment used in the scrapping is provided by the USA and UK under the SALT/START agreement, and has been used to scrap up to 64 Tu-95Hs, declared as being deployed under START. Since 1991, Russia has scrapped over 100 aircraft; mostly obsolete versions of strategic strike bombers such as the Tu-22 and Tu-95. The Tu-95 however, lives on in its various variants the most notable being the Tu-142 ASW aircraft, which has been extensively modernized with an upgrade package, which has recently been sold to India for its fleet of Tu-142s.

Article ID: 1369