Two long-range Russian antisubmarine Tu-142 aircraft of the Northern fleet trained missions over the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. They refueled in the air from Il-78 tanker, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Tu-142 of the Russian Navy (Picture source: Fedor Leukhin)

The Tupolev Tu-142 (NATO reporting name: Bear F/J) is a Soviet/Russian maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft derived from the Tu-95 turboprop strategic bomber. A specialised communications variant designated Tu-142MR was tasked with long-range communications duties with Soviet ballistic missile submarines.

“Tu-142 flew for over 13 hours. In the close zone, they were supported by MiG-31 fighters of the combined air regiment of the Northern fleet,” it said.

NATO fighter jets accompanied the Russian aircraft.

Tu-142 successfully trained missions over brown and blue waters. The flights were done in strict compliance with international airspace rules. The aircraft flew over neutral waters of the Barents, Norwegian, North Seas and the Atlantic Ocean. The distance was close to ten thousand kilometers.

The aircraft landed at an airfield of the Northern fleet.

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