MOSCOW, January 22 (RIA Novosti) - Two Russian strategic bombers will participate Tuesday in a joint naval exercise currently underway in the northern Atlantic, an Air Force spokesman said.

"Two Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers flew on Tuesday to the exercise area in the Bay of Biscay to practice interoperability [with naval forces] and tactical missile launches," Colonel Alexander Drobyshevsky said.

According to the official, the number of strategic aircraft involved in the exercise will be gradually increased starting Wednesday. The Tu-160 planes will be joined by Tu-95MS Bear and Tu-22M3 Backfire C strategic bombers, Il-78 Midas aerial tankers and A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning aircraft.

Russia's naval task force, comprising the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, the Udaloy-Class destroyers Admiral Levchenko and Admiral Chabanenko, as well as auxiliary vessels, is on a two-month tour of duty in the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic.

The flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, the Moskva guided missile cruiser, joined up with Russian naval warships in the Mediterranean on Friday to participate in the current maneuvers.

The Navy said that during live firing practices on Monday, the cruiser successfully hit all designated targets.

The current operation is the first large-scale Russian Navy exercise in the Atlantic for the last 15 years. All combat ships and aircraft involved are carrying a full combat ammunition load, the Navy said.

The Commander of Russia's Northern Fleet Vice-Admiral Nikolai Maksimov, who is heading the task force, earlier said that the current tour of duty to the Mediterranean, which started on December 5, was aimed at ensuring Russia's naval presence "in key operational areas of the world's oceans" and establishing conditions for secure Russian maritime navigation.