On October 18, 1960, from the Taganrog airfield, the Soviet Union presented the world with its first flight The Beriev Be-12an amphibious plane designed to perform underwater and maritime patrol missions that over time was expanding its abilities. In fact, Russia continued to keep several models used in the invasion of Ukraine.
Until a few days ago.
The attack against a relic. The scene took place September 21when Kamikaze drones Ukrainians reached the Kacha air base, in the Crimea occupied, attacking two of the very scarce be-12 amphibians of the Russian Navy and a MI-8 helicopter.
The disseminated images By the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense they show the direct impact on one of these devices (identified With number 08) and reinforce the idea that it is the first confirmed attack against this type of aircraft, known In Russia as chaika (Gaviota) and by NATO with the name in a mail key. The action was claimed by the Special Unit “Ghost” of Ukrainian intelligence, underlining the increasingly relevant role of drones in the campaign against infrastructures and military assets in Crimea.
The importance of B2-12. As we said at the beginning, the BE-12 was conceived in the sixties as an anti-submarine platform. Lost that main function decades ago, although kept in service in search and rescue configurations and, above all, as a maritime patrol to detect unmanned Ukrainian boats that Hostigan to the Black Sea fleet.
With just Six registered devices In 2023 and only four or five in the operational state, the destruction or damage of two of them could mean the reduction to half of the active fleet. Although one of the specimens achieved could have already been out of service, even in that case it was valuable as a source of spare partsa critical resource to prolong the life of the model.
The pressure in Crimea. Since the summer of 2022, the BE-12 have been frequently operating On the Crimea coastacting as support in the detection of unmanned vessels, recognition commands and Ukrainian special operations divers.
The drone campaign of Ukraine surface, which began with suicidal models and has resulted in reusable platforms capable of launch FPV drones or even gunners, has weakened To the roller and forced fleet the construction of hardened shelters in air bases Like Belbek. The loss of specialized aerial patrols aggravates Russian vulnerability in this scenario, where early intelligence and detection are vital.
The sunset of an airplane. The BE-12 has survived multiple stages of obsolescence, from the dissolution of the USSR to its Official withdrawal in 1992re -giving prominence after Crimea Annexation in 2014. However, without substantial modernizations, it lacks viability in an air environment disputed and can only perform secondary missions under conditions of Russian superiority.
Its apparent final, precipitated by Ukrainian drones, symbolizes how a war marked by autonomous systems and precision attacks is dismantling the last vestiges of Soviet aviation in the region.
Strategic consequences. If you want also, the attack against the BE-12 He fits the Ukrainian strategy to deprive Russia of surveillance and control capacities in the Black Sea, weakening the operating margin of the enclave fleet and undermine military logistics in the Peninsula.
Beyond the tactical blow, the action reflects the War transition Towards a scenario in which cheap, autonomous and difficult to counteract systems are able to neutralize expensive and scarce platforms, accelerating Russian wear and questioning Moscow’s ability to keep an increasingly naval aviation operational relic dependent.
Image | Commander, US Naval Forces Europe-Africa/US 6th FleetUkrainian Ministry of Defense
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