MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. The upgrade of operational long-range aircraft and the manufacture of new combat planes have considerably boosted the air component of Russia’s nuclear triad, Defense Minister Army General Sergei Shoigu said at the ministry’s conference call on Monday.

"This year, the Tupolev Aircraft Company carried out a considerable amount of work for the 1st and 2nd stage upgrade of Tu-95MS aircraft with the replacement of outdated radio-technical and navigational equipment," the defense minister said.

This work has provided "the planned number of combat-fit strategic bombers" in the fleet of long-range aviation, Shoigu said.

"Today we can say with confidence that the upgrade of the existing fleet of long-range aviation and the creation of new aircraft have considerably boosted the air component of the nuclear triad," Russia’s defense minister stressed.