“They have no analogues in the USA”: the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation called the statement of the American diplomat about the “museum” Tu-160 amateurish

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, Major General Igor Konashenkov, called the statement of an American diplomat amateurish that the Russian Tu-160 missile carriers were outdated and did not pose any threat.

“The Russian defense ministry is not surprised by the amateurish statements made by representatives of the US State Department about the Tu-160 strategic missile carriers against the background of the silence of professional experts from the Pentagon,” he said.

Earlier, US Ambassador to Colombia Kevin Whitaker said that the Russian Tu-160 bombers arrived in Venezuela were allegedly outdated and are not considered as a threat.

“Planes of this age are not a provocation. They are really from the museum, ”the diplomat noted.

In addition to the two Tu-160s, the An-124 heavy military transport aircraft and the IL-62 long-range ILF of Russia also arrived at Caracas airport. The flight took place over the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Caribbean Sea in accordance with the International Rules for the Use of Airspace.

As previously noted in the military department, Russian pilots regularly make such flights. So, at the end of October, two Tu-160s performed a planned flight over the waters of the Barents and Norwegian Seas. Maneuvers are also performed over the neutral waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, Pacific, Black and Caspian Seas.

The Defense Ministry recalled that the Tu-160 bombers, according to their characteristics, have no analogues in the United States and other NATO countries.

“I want to remind American diplomats that, since its creation, the developed Russian Tu-160 strategic missile carriers Tu-160 have not even comparable counterparts in the United States or any other NATO country, due to the developed speed, combat load, and any inaccessibility for any air defense system,” Konashenkov stressed.

The representative of the defense department stressed that the advantages of the Russian bombers only increased after the start of production of the upgraded version of the Tu-160M2.

“Therefore, if we compare the strategic missile carrier Tu-160 with the“ museum exhibit ”, then it is only to admire this masterpiece of Russian engineering in the field of aircraft building to the envy of Russian ill-wishers,” concluded Konashenkov.

"World-class weapons"

The Russian strategic bomber Tu-160 was adopted in 1987. As of 2017, there were 16 such aircraft at the disposal of the Russian Air Force. Their production continues to this day.

At the same time, the oldest strategic bomber is in service with the United States, Dmitry Drozdenko, a military expert at Arsenal of the Fatherland, said in an interview with RT.

“This assessment is unfair and comes, unfortunately, because in the US, apparently, they don’t really care about their self-education. For example, the USA is the oldest strategic bomber - it is B-52, ”he stressed.

Heavy strategic bombers B-52 were put into service in Washington in 1955, while the Soviet aircraft of this class, the Tu-95, entered service in 1956.

At the same time, strategic bombers do not need to be modern, since in fact they are a platform for launching missiles, Drozdenko added.

“His task, being in the sky, having received a task, quickly advance to the launch area and make the most massive blow. The Tu-160 is a very heavy lifting, the fastest bomber. Not every fighter can catch up with him. And, as shown by another flight to Venezuela, it calmly flies to the United States not even across the North Pole, ”the expert explained.

The modernization will allow the Tu-160 to perform tasks as part of the Russian Aerospace System for at least another 30 years, said Igor Korotchenko, chief editor of the National Defense magazine, member of the Public Council at the Russian Defense Ministry, in a conversation with RT.

"The Tu-160 is the carrier, including the Kh-102 cruise missiles with a nuclear warhead ... This is a world-class weapon," the expert noted.

According to him, this type of weapon is at the disposal of only two countries: Russia and the United States.

“We are talking about strategic bomber, able to overcome intercontinental distance and use both conventional and nuclear weapons. Therefore, in this case, the ambassador simply put himself in a foolish world, ”he concluded.