We offer you a detailed list of the headline-grabbing military hardware Russia unleashed on ISIL.
Tu-160 Strategic Bomber
The Tupolev Tu-160 (Blackjack) strategic bomber, whom Russian pilots lovingly call the White Swan, was sent on its first mission earlier this week. The warplane is said to be the heaviest combat aircraft ever built.
The heavy strategic bomber is scheduled for a major upgrade, which will see 60 percent of its equipment replaced with top-end gear, including hypersonic missiles, improved avionics and electronics. The aircraft will retain its trademark variable-sweep wings, three-point landing gear, all-flying tailplane and tail fin.
The Tu-160, designed by the Tupolev aerospace and defense company, has been in service since 1987.
Kh-101 Cruise Missile
The Kh-101, in development until recently, has a maximum range of 5500 kilometers (over 3,400 miles) and is capable of travelling at a maximum speed of 270 m/s. Its accuracy is reported to be around five to six meters.
The missile, outfitted with a conventional payload, is meant to replace the Kh-555. A variation, known as the Kh-102, carries a nuclear warhead.
Project 636 Subs, Kalibr Cruise Missiles, Buyan-Class Warships
Military expert Viktor Murakhovsky told the media outlet that Kalibr-class cruise missile debris could be seen in photos published by militants this week. If the Kalibr was fired from the Mediterranean, it could have only been launched from a submarine, he added. The Kremlin has not confirmed or denied this information.
The Rostov-on-Don, commissioned in late December 2014, is a Project 636 Varshavyanka sub deemed to be one of the quietest in the world. NATO refers to the improved Kilo-class as a 'black hole.' The Kilo was designed to carry out anti-shipping and anti-submarine missions in littoral waters.
The Kalibr itself went through a baptism by fire earlier this year. On October 7, four Buyan-M class warships of Russia's Caspian Fleet launched a barrage of 26 cruise missiles which hit all intended ISIL targets located more than 930 miles away. Each Buyan-class corvette carries eight Kalibr cruise missiles.
Su-34 Strike Fighter, drones
The Sukhoi Su-34 (Fullback) strike fighter is another cutting-edge piece of Russian-made military hardware that carried out its first combat mission in Syria. A total of six Su-34s have reportedly been deployed to Syria and are currently based in Latakia.
The counterterrorism campaign in Syria has also marked the first time Russia is extensively using drones. The UAVs, including the Orlan-10 and the Eleron-3SV, are said to be conducting 24/7 surveillance missions.
On September 29, Russia's defense agency announced that it planned to train more than 1,100 experts capable of operating drones, RBC reported. Approximately, 700 completed courses in early October.
