Russian Strategic Bombers Ordered to Return from Venezuela

TEHRAN (defapress)- Crews of Russia’s Tu-160 strategic bombers, who earlier completed a flight to Venezuela above the Atlantic Ocean, were ordered to return to their home bases, the Russian Defense Ministry’s press service said on Friday.

News ID: 74328

Date: 14 December 2018 - 21:08

"Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces Col. Gen. Sergei Surovikin has set forward a task to organize preparations for returning back to home bases and to perform this task in line with the approved decision," a spokesperson said, TASS reported.

On December 10 and 12, Russian Long-Range Aviation Commander Sergei Kobylash reported to Surovikin via a video linkup that Russian strategic bombers have successfully performed flights with the use of Venezuelan airfields.

The crews of the Russian Aerospace Forces and the Venezuelan Air Force have held joint classes at Maiquetia airport as they prepared the aircrews and aircraft for flights. The Russian and Venezuelan pilots studied the flight area near Maiquetia airport and discussed interaction with flight controllers and radio communication terminology.

After that, Russia’s Tu-160 and Su-30, and Venezuela’s F-16 conducted a joint flight above the Caribbean Sea region, which lasted about ten hours in total.

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