GUR destroyed two rare Russian Be-12 “Chaika” amphibious aircraft in Crimea: what makes them unique
Фото: Вікіпедія
On Sunday, September 21, in temporarily occupied Crimea, the “Primary” special forces of the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine for the first time destroyed two Russian Be-12 “Chaika” anti-submarine amphibious aircraft at once. Along with them, a multi-purpose Mi-8 helicopter was also hit.
This was reported by the press service of the GUR.
The losses for the Russian Federation are extremely painful. The Be-12s were considered one of the few unique aircraft still in service with the Russian naval forces.
Their destruction not only reduced Russia’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities in the Black Sea, but also demonstrated that even in the depths of occupied Crimea, enemy aviation has no guarantees of security.
The Be-12 Chaika is a Soviet amphibious aircraft, created in the 1960s by the Beriev Design Bureau. It was the successor to the previous Be-6 model, but received fundamentally new characteristics: turboprop engines, greater speed and range. In addition, thanks to the gull-wing design and retractable landing gear, these aircraft could take off both from the water surface and from conventional airfields on land.
Their main task is to search for and destroy submarines. For this purpose, specialized equipment is installed on board: depth charges, torpedoes, and equipment for detecting underwater targets. Although the production of these aircraft ended in the 1970s, they remain a rare and strategically important piece of equipment in the Russian army.
During its years of operation, the Be-12 set 46 world records and even after the collapse of the USSR continued to perform tasks as part of the naval forces. That is why their loss was a high-profile event – it was the first time in history that an amphibious aircraft of this type was destroyed in combat.
By the way, the Main Intelligence Directorate reported another successful raid by the GUR unit “Ghosts” on Russian positions in temporarily occupied Crimea.
Earlier, special forces of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine struck two Russian air defense system facilities in temporarily occupied Crimea.
The day before, fighters of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine struck the temporarily occupied Crimea, destroying two Russian Mi-8 helicopters and damaging a tugboat.
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