Image credit: Wiki
Posted on 08/14/2014 11:57:55 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Four Su-34 Fullback bombers have reached the North Pole. Mig-31 Foxhounds prepare to.
In what is another sign of the renewed interest for the Arctic, four Russian Sukhoi Su-34 bombers have reached the North Pole recently.
In spite of a range (on paper) of 4,000 km, according to the Interfax news agency, the four bombers refueled twice during the flight, performing air-to-air refueling in pairs.
The flight of Fullback planes covered a total distance of more than 50,000 km in three days; each Su-34 spent about 20 hours in flight during the trip.
Not only Su-34s have been operating over the Arctic lately. Russian Air Force’s Mig-31 Foxhound interceptors have already operated at the latitude of 82nd degree, showing the capability to intercept targets around the North Pole.
The Russian Air Force, Colonel-General Viktor Bondarev told ITAR-TASS that they will soon fly the Mig-31 jets, for the first time in their (already long) history, over the North Pole, during future drills.
Although the production of the Mig-31 ended in the early 1990s, the aircraft is being upgraded to extend its operative life up to the 2028 – 2030, until a replacement will be available.
H/T James Byrne for the heads-up
Image credit: Wiki
WOW ,it took the Russians a long time to reach the North Pole
I hear there is a tiny bathroom in those things.
I guess Russia is trying to catch up on this aerial refuelling thing
Or some подгузники для взрослых. ('adult diapers' via Google Translate)
lol
Hope their ‘relief tubes’ were heated.
I’m sleepy-headed from too much melatonin and valerian last night but wouldn’t you divide the total distance by 4? Or did you do that already?
No, I know about km and miles; I am talking about dividing by the 4 aircraft.
Are they counting on global warming so they can open up polar air strips?
Are they counting on global warming so they can open up polar air strips?
Yea, the math is BS. I think they combined the mileage for all four. Then 400mph would make more sense.
That’s a lot of rubles just to find out, definitively, whether polar bears eat penguins.
Hate to be on one of their ground crews.
Aw, ain’t no biggy the Martians got to him decades ago! Santa kicked their butts, the Russians will fail too.
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