Locator: 48698BOMBERS.
Imagine if the US lost one-third of its strategic bomber force in one night.
Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb, executed on June 1, 2025, targeted five Russian airbases using 117 drones launched from within Russian territory. The operation reportedly destroyed or disabled 41 aircraft, including Tu-95 (Bear) and Tu-22M3 (Backfire-C) bombers and A-50 surveillance planes, amounting to approximately 34% of Russia’s strategic bomber fleet.
- Bear:
- first flight: 1951
- four x turboprop engines with contra-rotating propellers
- strategic nuclear deterrence
- noted for range and endurance
- Backfire-C (think the US Rockwell's B-1B Lancer):
- first flight, 1969
- M3 variant entered service in 1989
- 2 x turbofan engines
- range: 4,300 miles with aerial refueling
- primary role: tactical and maritime strike missions
- primarily used in regional conflicts (e.g., Ukraine)
It is believed that Russia is incapable of replacing these bombers.
US bomber fleet:
- B-52H Stratofortress
- B-1B Lancer
- B-2A Spirit
- B-21 Raider -- expected to be in service, 2027 -- Northrop-Grumman, wiki.
But also,
- the F-35 does have these munitions:
- JDAMs,
- small diameter bombs; and,
- nuclear gravity bombs (B61-12)
- but the F-35 is considered a tactical platform, not a strategic platform.
