A Russian Tupolev TU-142 flies by the USS Mount Whitney of the US Navy during the NATO-led military exercise Trident Juncture on November 2, 2018 at the Norwegian sea outside Trondheim, Norway. (AFP PHOTO)
The aircraft completed the planned flight along the northern coast of the Aleutian Islands and the western coast of
MOSCOW, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Two Russian long-range Tu-142 anti-submarine aircraft of the Pacific Fleet naval aviation have performed a planned patrol flight in the airspace over the neutral waters of the Pacific Ocean, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
The aircraft completed the planned flight along the northern coast of the Aleutian Islands and the western coast of Alaska and Canada, the ministry added.
The Tu-142 aircraft were supported by a pair of high-altitude fighter-interceptors MiG-31BM, the ministry's Zvezda broadcasting service said.
During the 13-hour non-stop flight, the anti-submarine aircraft were refueled by an Il-78 refueling aircraft, it said.
The flight of the Pacific Fleet naval aircraft was carried out in strict accordance with the international rules for the use of airspace, Zvezda said.
Tu-142 is a long-range anti-submarine aircraft, created on the basis of the Tu-95 bomber and designed to detect and destroy nuclear submarines. It can also be used for long-range ocean reconnaissance and search and rescue missions.
