The upgraded Tupolev Tu-160M2 strategic bombers will start arriving for Russia’s long-range aviation soon, Long-Range Air Force Commander Lieutenant-General Sergei Kobylash said in an interview with the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper published on Friday.

"The long-range Air Force will soon get modernized Tu-160M2 aircraft with the improved characteristics… The ongoing modernization will allow keeping these aircraft operational and extending their service life to 45-50 years," he said.

All the modernization works are proceeding in accordance with the approved plan and schedule, the general said.

In the process of its upgrade, the bomber will get a principally new avionics suite and the onboard integrated data control system. The Tu-160M2 will also feature satellite navigation systems, the short-range radio-technical navigation systems, the air signal systems, the defensive aids suite, the electronic warfare complex and other promising systems.

"This will allow the aircraft to use both existing and future longer-range airborne weapons," the commander said.