Bad to the bone
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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| Phantoms and Tomcats on the prowl... |
| 2020-06-14 |
| [The Aviationist] The Tu-95RT Bear-D variant performed a maritime surveillance and over-the-horizon targeting mission for other aircraft, surface ships and submarines. It was identifiable by a large bulge under the fuselage, which reportedly housed a radar antenna that was used to search for and detect surface ships. Decommissioned in the 1990s, they were based at Kipelovo (the base that currently hosts the Russian Naval Aviation Tu-142s). Starting from 1963-1964 as many as 53 Soviet Tu-95RTs performed the tasks of detecting carrier groups in the oceans, and the Soviet 392 ODRAP (separate long-range reconnaissance aviation regiment) was responsible for the Atlantic region. Aircraft were based other than Russia, in Cuba, in Guinea and Angola. Most of the known photos with Tu-95 intercepts are Tu-95RTs belonging to the 392th squadron. Thanks to Dmitriy Ermolin and the FB page dedicated to Kipelovo airbase he administers, we are able to see the NATO interceptors dispatched to identify and escort the Soviet Bear-D aircraft during their long-range missions (the very same the Bear variants continue to fly nowadays) as seen from the cockpit of the Bears. |
| Posted by:M. Murcek |
| #1 Man I miss the 179th F-4D-26-MC Phantom II 65-0608 at Duluth Air National Guard Base. Bad to the bone |
| Posted by: Woodrow 2020-06-14 11:30 |