It was reformed by a decree of 13 March 1980, along with the 24th, 30th, and 46th Air Armies, which together replaced the Long Range Aviation headquarters, which was disbanded.

[2] Strategic aviation is the sole Russian Air Force component which was actually increased in the 1990s rather than being cut, as was the case with military services.

Following the break-up of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, only 22 Tu-95MS bombers remained on Russian territory; at that time the only Tu-160s were in test units or with the manufacturers.

It is the first case of use in the history of the Russian Federation by Long-Range Aviation aircraft of airbases located in the territory of the foreign state.

While in Venezuela the aircraft made training flights over neutral waters in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean sea.