MOSCOW, Russia (Reuters) -- Russia's strategic bombers have resumed the Soviet Union's Cold War practice of flying long-haul missions to areas patrolled by NATO and the United States, generals said on Thursday. A Russian Tu-95 Bear bomber, the type of plane used on long-range sorties into areas patrolled by NATO. A Russian bomber flew over a U.S. military base on the Pacific island of Guam on Wednesday and "exchanged smiles" with U.S. pilots who had scrambled to track it, said Maj. Gen. Pavel Androsov, head of long-range aviation in the Russian air force. "It has always been the tradition of our long-range aviation to fly far into the ocean, to meet [U.S.] aircraft carriers and greet [U.S. pilots] visually," Androsov told a news conference.
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Russian strategic bombers resume Cold War-style long-haul missions
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Russian, U.S. crews "exchanged smiles" as bomber flew over U.S. Pacific base
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The @placeholder, codenamed "Bear" by NATO, is Russia's Cold War icon and may stay in service until 2040.