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.
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H/T James Byrne for the heads-up
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