Operational history Tupolev Tu-142

a soviet tu-142m flying above clouds (1986)

to prepare tu-142 operations, on 22 june 1960 soviet navy began selecting personnel conversion training. first group began three-month training period on 4 march 1970 @ seaside town of nikolayev (since renamed mykolaiv). meanwhile, first tu-142s delivered northern fleet @ kipelovo ab, tasked tracking , monitoring nuclear-powered submarines part of type s operational trials. throughout test programme, effort focused on verification of asw avionics, notably berkut-95 radar, airframe not major concern. tu-142 reached initial operational capability in december 1972 after successful flight-test programme. prior that, in december 1971, second group selected tu-142 operations started own conversion training. deliveries of aircraft @ first proceeded slowly; more tu-142s produced, type allocated pacific fleet.

a tu-142mk-e , ilyushin il-38 may of indian naval air arm seen @ ins hansa, goa (2006)

throughout operational history, tu-142 demonstrated significant capabilities. on 19–22 august 1974, 4 tu-142s shadowed foreign submarine in barents sea; 1 of aircraft reported have maintained continuous contact 2 hours , 55 minutes. in 1975, tu-142 managed trail soviet submarine 3 hours , 16 minutes. on 10 october 1977, group of 5 tu-142s tracked submarine in philippine sea; 1 of tu-142s reportedly trailed submarine 4 hours , 5 minutes. soviet tu-142s, besides operating domestically, sent friendly overseas bases in angola, cuba, ethiopia, vietnam, , yemen. in 1990s, dissolution of soviet union, soviet fleet of tu-142s handed russian navy, although ukrainian air force gained few tu-142s had been left in territory. ukrainian tu-142s later dismantled result of bilateral start treaty signed between united states , soviet union in 1991, came effect in late 1994.

besides tu-142 s military applications, one-off tu-142mp used test new asw suite. tu-142 converted replace tu-95ll testing of turbojet engines. designated tu-142ll, asw equipment , armament removed allow engine test bed carried under belly. of engines installed nk-25 tu-22mz, rd36-51a tu-144d, , nk-32 tu-160. first tu-142mk converted airborne laboratory role, setting several altitude-in-horizontal , time-to-altitude records in class.

in 1981 indian navy began considering long-range maritime reconnaissance , anti-submarine warfare aircraft naval air arm. soviet union offered refurbish of own tu-142s india, rather construct new aircraft. indian navy @ first hesitant large tu-142, heavy , require runways reinforced , lengthened @ potential operating bases. consequently, service requested 3 ilyushin il-38s – being phased out of service soviet navy – refurbished indian operations. request fell through, , in december 1984 agreement purchase 8 tu-142s signed.

for twelve-month period stating may 1987, indian navy sent 40 pilots , observers, 16 technical officers , 128 sailors riga training. on 30 march 1988, first 3 tu-142s arrived @ indian naval air station of ins hansa, goa, after flight simferopol (gvardeyskoye air base) in crimean peninsula. on 13 april 2 more aircraft arrived, prior commissioning of inas 312, operator of indian tu-142s; end of october fleet of 8 tu-142s delivered. in may 1992, squadron relocated current operating base @ ins rajali on indian east coast. tu-142s replaced twelve smaller boeing p-8is. indian navy retired last 3 operational aircraft on 29 march 2017.