MOSCOW. Dec 17 (Interfax-AVN) - The combat capabilities of the TU-160 Blackjack, TU-95MS Bear and TU-22M3 Backfire strategic long-range bombers will be considerably improved, Russian Air Force Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Mikhailov told Interfax-Military News Agency on Friday.
"This will mostly be achieved at the expense of better conventional weapons," he said.
He added that the avionics of the bombers would be modernized by introducing satellite navigation and communication technologies at large and upgrading weapons control systems.
"As a result, the aircraft with more formidable conventional weapons aboard will become nearly as effective as if equipped with nuclear weapons," he said.
He noted that the work is determined by the new requirements to avionics and weapons envisaged by the State Armament Program of Russia for the period till 2010.
The program provides for a broad modernization of existing aircraft. The modernization will include mostly the measures to advance avionics, improve the performance of radioelectronic systems and new air-launched weapons including the precision-guided ones.