Russian Tu-142 Submarine Hunters Make 15 Hour Flight Over Atlantic: Tailed by F-35s and Eurofighters

Two of the Russian Navy’s Tu-142 anti submarine warfare aircraft carried out a 15 hour flight over the Atlantic Ocean. The aircraft were deployed by the Navy’s Northern Fleet, and refuelled in the air from an Il-78 tanker. The Tu-142 makes use of turboprop engines and benefits from an intercontinental range, and around two dozen of the aircraft are currently in service. The aircraft is based on the airframe of the Tu-95 strategic bomber, and while the design dates back to the early 1950s it has been extensively upgraded since - with production of enhanced variants continuing until 1994. The airframe differs from the Tu-95, with an elongated fuselage to accommodate specialised surveillance equipment and a reinforced undercarriage allowing it to land on rougher airfields. Operations over the north Atlantic follow major exercises by the U.S. Navy in the area, and the Russian aircraft were briefly tailed by British Eurofighter combat jets and Norwegian F-35A stealth fighters. The Tu-142 is considered Russia's foremost high endurance anti submarine warfare aircraft, and further upgrades to the design are currently planned.