Bombers!

This is coolbert:

Here is the dope on the various Russian long-range bomber aircraft [with refueling tanker participation], that only yesterday, completed a training exercise the purpose of which was to simulate a nuclear attack with cruise missiles on the continental United States.

"Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22M3, and Il-78"

* Tu-160 "Blackjack"



"16 [Tu-160] currently in service with the Russian Air Force. Its pilots call the Tu-160 the “White Swan”, due to the surprising maneuverability and antiflash white finish of the aircraft."

"Anti-flash white is a brilliant white colour commonly seen on United States and British nuclear bombers in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as the Tupolev Tu-160. The purpose of the colour was to reflect some of the thermal radiation from a nuclear explosion, protecting the aircraft and its occupants."

* Tupolev_Tu-22M



"Current strength is 162 aircraft, plus 93 in reserve."

* Tu-95 "Bear"



The venerable but still potent Russian "Bear". Like the B-52, first designed decades ago now. But still serviceable and if using cruise missiles as the primary weaponry, does NOT have to penetrate U.S. airspace to deliver atomic weapons to U.S. cities. Can stand-off and fire a barrage with impunity??

* Raduga_Kh-55 [AS-15 Kent cruise missile]

This would be the weapon of choice for a manned bomber atomic attack on the U.S. Bomber aircraft can "stand-off" at a distance from their intended targets, each aircraft firing a barrage of such cruise missiles, overwhelming the defenses, to what extent defenses EVEN EXIST!

The Raduga Kh-55 Granat (Russian: Х-55 Гранат (Granat) NATO reporting name AS-15 'Kent') is a Soviet/ Russian subsonic long-range cruise missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead. . . . Designed to be launched either from bomber aircraft or from submarines, it was built to carry a conventional or nuclear warhead of up to a 200 kiloton yield over a range of up to 3,000 km (1,860 miles).

* Ilyushin_Il-78.



"The Ilyushin Il-78 (NATO reporting name Midas) is a four-engined aerial refueling tanker based on the Il-76"

coolbert.