SERVICE HISTORY
The Tupolev Tu-95 first flew in 1952, and entered service in 1956 with the Soviet Air Force Long Range Aviation branch as an intercontinental bomber, to specifically fill the nuclear strike role. A few years later, modified versions entered service with the Soviet Navy, and more variants including Electronic Counter Measures and Electronic Intelligence types followed. Several purely experiment types were also operated, including the TU-95V to test drop the Tsar Bomba, the largest thermonuclear bomb ever built.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, several former Soviet republics operated Bears, although only the Ukraine kept them in service for any length of time. The Russians continued to develop the aircraft, which finally saw its combat debut in 2015 over Syria, 49 years after entering service. With the current upgrade programme ongoing, the Bear is expected to be in service for at least another two decades.