Norwegian F‑35s intercept Russian Tu‑142s on secret radar mission

The Bulgarian Military portal reports that f-35A fighter jets belonging to the Norwegian Air Force intercepted and escorted two Russian Tu-142MK maritime reconnaissance aircraft over the Bay of Biscay.

The Russians regularly conduct training flights outside their territory. Earlier this year, the Russian Federation's army sent Tu-22M3 bombers or MiG-31 fighters over the Baltic Sea several times. Many such incidents are met with immediate responses from NATO member countries, which react by scrambling fighters to intercept and escort the Russian aircraft.

It was no different in the case of the recent 15-hour flight, during which two Russian Tu-142MK aircraft flew from Kipelovo to the Bay of Biscay and the North Atlantic. According to the Bulgarian Military, both planes were to cover a distance of 6,213 miles, and during the flight, they were intercepted by Norwegian F-35A fighters.

What exactly were the Tupolev Tu-142MKs doing over the Bay of Biscay, off the west coast of France? European sources cited by Bulgarian Military indicate that the Russian aircraft were on a special mission, specifically calibrating a new over-the-horizon radar installed near Nizhny Novgorod.

Bulgarian Military explains that the Tu-142MK maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare planes are key in over-the-horizon radar calibration flights. These flights are not combat missions but rather test activities.

The Tu-142MKs are equipped with sensors and electronic systems designed to detect and track targets on and below the water's surface at long distances. The main goal of such flights is to properly tune the radars to ensure they can accurately detect targets and provide allies with reliable data.

In a calibration flight, the Tu-142MK performs specific maneuvers over designated areas. There is no room for randomness – every move is precisely planned to cover various environmental conditions and different altitudes.

The main system installed on board the Tu-142MK is the Korshun-K radar, which monitors the area around the aircraft and detects targets. Additionally, the Berkut-95 magnetic anomaly detector is a crucial element of the aircraft.

This detector is used to identify even minimal changes in the Earth's magnetic field, which large metal objects, such as submarines, can cause. The Tu-142MK can detect and track these objects. The identification and tracking of surface objects are carried out by electronic support measures that analyze all electronic signals generated by potential targets.