Russia’s strategic Tu-160 bombers set two world records

... The Tupolev 160 bombers completed the air alert mission along the coast of South America and took off from the air base in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday at 10:00 Moscow time. The flight route was designated above neutral waters of the Atlantic and the Arctic oceans.

The flights were performed in strict correspondence with the international rules for airspace use over neutral waters with no transgression of other countries’ borders.

The Tu-160 bombers landed in Venezuela September 10, after 13 hours of continuous flight. NATO’s F-16 fighters accompanied the Russian bombers over Iceland and the Norwegian Sea. There were no nuclear weapons on board the Tu-160 bombers, although the planes are capable of carrying 12 long-range cruise missiles on board.

The planes performed several flights over neutral waters in the water area of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

The Tupolev Tu-160 is a supersonic, variable-geometry heavy bomber designed by the Soviet Union. The Tu-160 is the heaviest combat aircraft ever built. The aircraft is similar to the B-1 Lancer, but 430mph (692 km/h) faster than the Lancer, and possesses greater range and payload capabilities. Produced 10 years later than the B-1, it flies at 10,000 ft (3,048 m) lower maximum altitude.

Introduced in 1987, it was the last Soviet strategic bomber designed, but production of the aircraft still continues, with at least 16 currently in service with the Russian Air Force.... - pravda