Russia continues to operate about 24 Tu-142 long-range anti-submarine aircraft. These machines remain in service with the Navy even more than 50 years after their first flight, according to "Tekhnosfera Russia".
The Tu-142 was developed based on the Tu-95 strategic missile carrier. The main task of the aircraft is to search for and destroy nuclear submarines in vast areas of the ocean.
In total, about 100 such machines were built from 1968 to 1994. Official data on the size of the fleet are classified.
Modernized versions of the Tu-142MZ and Tu-142MZM received updated electronic equipment. However, the aircraft remains one of the noisiest in the world thanks to its four NK-12 turboprop engines.
Former Pacific Fleet Commander Sergey Avakyants stated that the lack of full-fledged naval aviation was the weak point of the Navy. The admiral urged to rely on Soviet experience in its development.
