Following the redeployment of Russian Su-35 heavyweight fighters and S-400 air defence methods from the nation’s Far Jap areas to the territory of neighbouring Belarus, the Russian Air Pressure on February 17 deployed two Tu-22M3 bombers for patrols over Belarusian airspace. The deployment have been a part of the Union Resolve 2022 joint Russia-Belarus workout routines, and are available at a time of each excessive tensions with NATO and growing integration of the 2 international locations’ armed forces to counter rising perceived threats from the West. “Through the Union Resolve 2022 joint train, two Tu-22M3 long-range bombers of Russia’s Aerospace Pressure carried out a brand new air patrol within the airspace of the Republic of Belarus,” the Russian Defence Ministry reported, with the bombers shortly returning to airfields in Russia itself. The Belarusian Air Pressure has participated with deployment of newly acquired Su-30SM fighters from Russia that are based mostly on the identical airframe design because the Su-35 however are significantly cheaper and fewer specialised in air to air fight.
Belarusian Su-30s escorted Russian bombers within the nation’s territory a number of occasions in late 2021, together with each the Tu-22M3 and the heavier intercontinental vary Tu-160. On the time Belarus, reasonably than Ukraine, was the main target of NATO’s tensions with Russia. With Russian Su-35s now current, nonetheless, these superior fighters took duty for escort missions. Tu-22M3 bombers have been close to concurrently deployed for operations within the Mediterranean from Khmeimim Airbase in Syria, though the proximity of Belarusian airfields to NATO targets signifies that bombers are unlikely to see ahead deployments there because the Su-35s have. The patrol notably got here every week after Russia for the primary time deployed MiG-31K strike fighters to airbases within the Kaliningrad enclave bordering Poland, which is Russia’s westernmost territory and locations all of Europe and far of the Atlantic inside engagement vary. The Tu-22M3 is suitable with a variety of standoff weapons able to threatening targets throughout Europe with out leaving Belarusian airspace, together with the brand new Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic ballistic missile which is close to unattainable to intercept and might have interaction targets at Mach 10 speeds.
