MOSCOW. May 23 (Interfax-AVN) - Canadian CF-18 fighter jets tracked Russian strategic missile carriers during a 17-hour air patrolling mission in the region of the Aleutian Islands.
"The crews of two Tupolev Tu-95MS strategic bombers practiced piloting skills over featureless terrain in the day and night time. They also performed in-flight refueling from an Ilyushin Il-78 tanker aircraft," Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik told Interfax-AVN.
The missile carriers took off from Ukrainka air base. The flight lasted about 17 hours.
The Russian strategic bombers were tracked by Canadian CF-18 fighter jets at various stages of the flight, he said.
Tasks of combat employment and of the air crews' interoperability were practiced in accordance with a combat training plan. At one stage, the strategic bombers were escorted by two Sukhoi Su-27 Russian multirole fighter jets, Drik said.