Two Russian Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers are carrying out a 23-hour patrol with a planned flight range of 18,000 kilometers (over 11,000 miles), an Air Force spokesman said on Wednesday.

"We are expecting this mission to set a record because its duration will exceed the previous achievement by two hours for a total of 23 hours, and its range will reach 18,000 kilometers," Lt. Col. Vladimir Drik said.

The Tu-160s conducted a similar mission last year and stayed in the air for 21 hours.

The bombers are flying along the Russian borders and over neutral waters of the Arctic and Pacific oceans.

They will practice instrumental flight and carry out in-flight refueling from Il-78 aerial tankers.

The Tu-160 Blackjack is a supersonic, variable-geometry heavy bomber, designed to strike strategic targets with nuclear and conventional weapons deep in continental theaters of operation.

MOSCOW, June 9 (RIA Novosti)