MOSCOW, March 20 (RIA Novosti) - Russian strategic bombers will Monday practice launching cruise missiles during combined-force tactical exercises, an Air Force spokesman said.

Colonel Alexander Drobyshevsky said the four-day exercise would involve 15 Tu-95MC [NATO codename Bear] strategic bombers and 12 Il-78 tanker planes, and would be supervised by Lieutenant General Igor Khvorov, Commander of the Strategic Air Command's 37th Army.

The training exercises will include day- and night-time midair refueling, and flights in the Far North with practice cruise-missile launches, Drobyshevsky said, adding that 60% of the crews were novice pilots.

A Tu-95 bomber can carry up to six X-55 cruise missiles capable of hitting stationary targets with high precision.