SU-22 is a State of Art Bomber from Russia * 59

One of the older era Russian bombers was the Tupolev -22 or as known by its NATO codename the Backfire. This was first flown in 1969 and is still in service. The Russian aircraft designer Andre Tupolev  was tasked by Josef Stalin as far back as in

1952 to produce a strike bomber that could penetrate the USAF defenses and land a counterpunch. The TU-22 then appeared. It is a plane with a speed of 2350 km/hr. and has a range of 6000 km. It is more than capable of penetrating enemy defenses and can strike at the US if it flies via the North Pole. The aircraft is now upgraded and is still in service as the Backfire.

The backfire is the pride of the Russian air force and the fact remains there is no plane in the arsenal of the west that matches this plane. 

The Russian still believe in the concept of the Strategic bomber and the Backfire is precisely that a long-range strategic bomber that can fly low and strike the enemy. The world has seen the power of the Backfire in the bombings going on in Syria. Earlier the planes were taking off from Russian airfields but now these planes now have operated from the Iranian base of Hamden and bombed the opponents of Assad in Syria with lethal effect. No other country has any similar long-range bomber, not even the USAF or Chinese Air Force.

The backfire is a force multiplier and the west is wary of this plane.  It is equipped with ECM and ECCM and does not need a fighter escort as it flies at Mach 2.5 and can launch its laser-guided missiles from afar. The Russians have over 50 of these planes and they form the backbone of the Russian strategic  air force.