Tu-142 continue to work in the Atlantic and the Arctic
Russian anti-submarine aviation continues to work actively and monitors the situation in strategically important regions. Thus, the crews of long-range Tu-142 aircraft of the Air Force and Air Defense of the Northern Fleet last year regularly made sorties to patrol important areas of the North Atlantic and the Arctic. This work will reportedly continue this year.
Successes and plans
On January 9, the press service of the Ministry of Defense wrote about the work of the anti-submarine aviation of the Northern Fleet. It is reported that in the past 2021, the crews of Tu-142 long-range anti-submarine aircraft repeatedly performed tasks in international airspace over the Atlantic and the Arctic. All such flights were carried out in accordance with the rules and agreements, without violating the air borders of third countries.
The pilots solved the tasks of patrolling and looked for submarines of a potential enemy. They also conducted aerial reconnaissance and participated in the general processes of monitoring the situation in the Arctic. The average departure time last year was 10 hours. The average flight range is 7 thousand km.
The Ministry of Defense reports that such flights will be carried out in the new year 2022. At the same time, monitoring the situation in the Arctic and the Atlantic will become one of the priority tasks for Tu-142s and their crews from the Northern Fleet’s naval aviation.
Details of such plans have not yet been specified. Given recent successes, it can be assumed that this year's sorties will be similar to those of the recent past. The frequency and intensity of departures should not change significantly; the zones of special attention of anti-submarine aviation will remain the same.
long flights
According to known data, the current activity indicators of our long-range anti-submarine aviation are at a fairly high level and ensure the implementation of the necessary measures. In addition, it becomes possible to expand the range of naval aviation tasks to be solved.
In the past, the negative situation in the country led to a well-known drop in the performance of the armed forces in general and naval aviation in particular. Subsequently, a gradual recovery began, and in the past decade its results appeared in the context of anti-submarine aviation. The number of departures began to grow; equipment was modernized.
In 2017, the command of the armed forces reported that the intensity of long-range aviation flights, incl. anti-submarine, reached the level of the times of the USSR. Aircraft of various types performed flights to different areas of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as various seas, incl. remote from Russian borders.
Flights in the Arctic were resumed under various programs. In particular, in 2018, for the first time after a long break, long-range Tu-142 aircraft flew across the Pole to the shores of North America. At the same time, the number of patrol flights in the northern part of the Atlantic and over the Arctic Ocean grew.
The main objectives
During such sorties, the crews of anti-submarine Tu-142 solve several basic tasks. First of all, this is the search for submarines carrying strategic weapons of a potential enemy. It is also necessary to find and track multi-purpose submarines that pose a danger to our SSBNs.
Tu-142M3, overhauled in 2019
Tu-142 aircraft and other types of aircraft are capable of collecting data on underwater targets and transmitting them to headquarters or ships of the fleet. It also provides for the possibility of an independent attack of an underwater target using a regular weapons.
It should be noted that anti-submarine aviation crews may encounter serious difficulties in conducted and announced sorties. So, when working over open water, the Tu-142 aircraft or another type of aircraft can freely use all standard search tools. Completing tasks in the Arctic, where most of the waters are covered with ice, is associated with certain limitations and is difficult.
Ice of considerable thickness virtually excludes the search for underwater targets with the help of hydrobuoys. In such a situation, it is necessary to use other devices that were originally considered as auxiliary ones. In particular, a submarine that has surfaced and broken through the ice can be detected using a standard onboard radar. Also, in northern conditions, the attack of a target with the help of mine-torpedo or bomb weapons is complicated or excluded.
In general, anti-submarine aviation is able to fully work on complex areas of the Arctic and effectively solve all the tasks. However, all this imposes special requirements on the training and skills of the crews. The exercises and other events of recent years clearly show that the qualifications of our pilots correspond to the assigned tasks.
Air fleet
According to known data, now the Russian Navy's naval aviation has more than two dozen Tu-142 aircraft of several major modifications. Equipment is roughly equally divided between the Northern and Pacific fleets. Working from its bases, it is able to control large areas of the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific Oceans.
Tu-142M3 tests after repair, 2020
Available planes are quite old and in need of repair and modernization. Right now, a major overhaul program for all existing Tu-142s is being carried out. Most of the equipment has already gone through the necessary procedures and returned to service. Delivery of the next repaired boards is expected in the near future.
A few years ago, the issue of deep modernization of existing Tu-142s according to new projects was discussed. It is assumed that such measures will significantly improve the technical and operational characteristics of the machines, as well as once again extend their service life. However, exact information on the implementation of such projects is not yet available. Perhaps they will be dealt with after the completion of the repair of all existing aircraft.
At the same time, the issue of a radical renewal of long-range anti-submarine aviation is already being worked out. In 2019, the Ministry of Defense turned to the aviation industry with a request for proposals on a promising patrol aircraft. In the distant future, such a machine will have to replace both the Tu-142 and the Il-38. Fundamental decisions on such proposals were planned to be made in the near future. However, since then, no new reports have been received - probably due to the secrecy of the project.
Special role
Thus, despite the limited number and solid age, Tu-142 anti-submarine aircraft of the main modifications retain a special role in the structure of naval aviation. They continue to fly on patrol and track the underwater activity of a potential enemy in strategically important areas.
Reportedly, in recent years, some progress has been made in this matter, and work will continue. This year, the naval aviation of the Northern Fleet is planning new flights to the northern regions of the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic. For all their complexity, such activities are of particular importance for ensuring security, and also have a number of additional goals - and therefore will be continued.
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