Tu-142M3 ASW aircraft complete scheduled 11-hour flight over Bering and Chukchi Seas.

Two long-range anti-submarine Tu-142МЗ planes of the Pacific Fleet performed a scheduled flight over the Bering and the Chukchi Seas, the press service of the Eastern Military District reported on Tuesday. The flight took more than 11 hours.

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The Tupolev-142M is a maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft derived from the Tu-95 turboprop strategic bomber (Picture source: Russianplanes.net)

"On January 26, 2021, two long-range anti-submarine Tu-142МЗ planes of naval aviation of the Pacific Fleet performed a scheduled flight over the waters of the Bering and the Chukchi Seas. The mission time lasted more than 11 hours. During this time, they covered over 8,000 kilometers," the press service reported.

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. The Tu-142 was designed by the Tupolev design bureau, and manufactured by the Kuibyshev Aviation and Taganrog Machinery Plants from 1968 to 1994. Formerly operated by the Soviet Navy and Ukrainian Air Force, the Tu-142 currently serves with the Russian Navy.

Developed in response to the American Polaris programme, the Tu-142 grew out of the need for a viable Soviet ASW platform. It succeeded the failed Tu-95PLO project, Tupolev's first attempt at modifying the Tu-95 for maritime use. The Tu-142 differed from the Tu-95 in having a stretched fuselage to accommodate specialised equipment for its ASW and surveillance roles, a reinforced undercarriage to support rough-field capability, improved avionics and weapons, and enhancements to general performance. The Tu-142's capability was incrementally improved while the type was in service, eventually resulting in the Tu-142MZ, the final long-range Tu-142 with highly sophisticated combat avionics and a large payload. Tupolev also converted a number of Tu-142s as avionics (Tu-142MP) and engine (Tu-142LL) testbeds