In November 2015, no less than 59 years after entering service, Tu-95s saw their first ever combat. Only a few details are known about a dozen examples deployed for cruise-missile attacks on Syria in November 2015 and November 2016. Two of the Tu-95SM-1s identified as involved on the latter occasion were Bort ‘11 Red/Vorkuta/RF-94127’ (subsequently sighted wearing mission markings for 60 sorties, as shown on the illustration here) and Bort ‘27 Red/Izborsk/RF-94117’, while Bort ‘12 Red/Moskva/RF-94126’ (but also Bort ‘19 Red/Krasnoyarsk/RF-94123’, RF-94131 and RF-94218) may have been involved in earlier operations. Their primary weapons were Kh-555 cruise missiles, two carried in pairs on each of four underwing pylons. (Artworks by Tom Cooper)