Blowing $2.8 billion on 10 strategic bombers, Putin proves his egotistical strategic flaws

On Thursday, President Vladimir Putin of Russia approved a $2.8 billion deal to upgrade 10 TU-160 strategic bombers.

Russia’s mission-focus equivalent of the B-2 U.S. Air Force strategic bomber, the TU-160 is designed to penetrate deep inside enemy territory and destroy command and control structures. The problem for Russia, however, is that the TU-160 is nowhere near as capable as the B-2 or even the U.S. B-1B bomber. In turn, while this modernization deal might make the TU-160 more capable, it will not put the aircraft in a position to penetrate deep inside a capable adversary’s battlespace.