Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has announced that upgraded Tu-95MSM (Nato code name: Bear) strategic missile-carrying bomber performed maiden flight at the airfield of TANTK them.G.M.Beriev in Taganrog.

“Deeply modernized Tu-95MSM performed maiden flight at the airfield of TANTK them.G.M.Beriev in Taganrog,” UAC said on Twitter. “The flight took place in normal mode, at an altitude of 9000 meters, lasted 2 hours 33 minutes, systems and equipment worked without any remarks.”

The aircraft was piloted by the crew under the command of test pilot of the Zhukovskaya flight testing base, a subsidiary of the Tupolev Aircraft Company, Andrei Voropayev.

An advanced version of Russian giant, propeller-driven flying Bear will be capable of carrying eight cruise missiles instead of four and has received new flight control and navigation and communications systems, CEO of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Yuri Slyusar said in an interview with the Zvezda TV Channel on Monday.

“A possibility has appeared to carry eight instead of four missiles, i.e. to increase its weapon payload two-fold and extend the aircraft’s service life considerably,” the UAC chief said.

The UAC head told Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at the Army-2020 international military and technical forum on August 23 that the flight tests of the first prototype of the heavily upgraded Tu-95MSM strategic missile-carrying bomber had begun in Russia.

Deeply modernized Tu-95MSM performed maiden flight at the airfield of TANTK them.G.M.Beriev in Taganrog. The flight took place in normal mode, at an altitude of 9000 meters, lasted 2 hours 33 minutes, systems and equipment worked without any remarks. pic.twitter.com/lvCmErsgoo

— UAC Russia (@UAC_Russia_eng) August 23, 2020

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