The Russian Ministry of Defense has released new video and photos showing the current deployment of three Tu-22M3 Backfire-C<\/a> swing-wing bombers to Khmeimim airbase<\/a> in Syria, the story of which we were first to report on Monday<\/a> and followed up on a day later<\/a> with additional details. Now, as we expected, one of the jets has appeared toting a single example of the enormous Kh-22 series<\/a> standoff missile. Known in the West as the AS-4 Kitchen, the weapon is now primarily used for anti-shipping strike, in keeping with the maritime mission that Moscow has said the Backfires will undertake while in Syria.<\/p>\n A video published today by the Russian Ministry of Defense\u2019s official television station, TV Zvezda<\/em>, shows crew strapping into one of the four-seat bombers at Khmeimim, with an example of the A-50U Mainstay<\/a> airborne early warning aircraft visible on the ramp in the background. An unarmed Russian Aerospace Forces Tu-22M3 is shown departing the airbase, while another is shown flying, with a single Kh-22 (or possibly a modernized Kh-32) carried asymmetrically, under the port wing. There is also an inflight sequence onboard one of the bombers, revealing the non-upgraded cockpit and one of the pilots studying a paper map. Additional footage<\/a> published by the same source also shows Su-35S Flanker<\/a> escort fighters departing to accompany the bombers.<\/p>\n The two bombers that can be identified while loaded with missiles are \u2018Red 15,\u2019 wearing the Russian registration RF-94149, and thought to be homebased at Shaykovka<\/a> in western Russia, and \u2018Red 50,\u2019 RF-34091, from Belaya in the Russian Far East.<\/p>\n There is also a series of photos taken of the bombers at the Syrian base, showing a missile-armed aircraft landing, and again on the hardstand, as well as shots of ground crew wearing desert-colored summer flying suits. The caption to this series is \u201cCrews of Tu-22M3 long-range bombers have begun to perform missions in the Mediterranean sea zone.\u201d<\/p>\n