MOSCOW. Feb 16 (Interfax) - Tupolev Tu-142M3 anti-submarine warfare aircraft of the Russian Pacific Fleet's marine aviation have drilled mid-air refueling from an Ilyushin Il-78M tanker plane of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Kamchatka, the fleet press service said on Thursday.
"The planes trained during daytime and at night, and the nighttime mid-air refueling of Tu-142M3 planes of the Pacific Fleet was trained for the first time," the press service said.
Two Tu-142M3 planes performed over 20 dockings with the tanker plane using a hose-cone refueling system, it said.
"Such flights are one of the most difficult types of pilot training. They are performed at an altitude of 4,000 to 5,000 meters at a speed of 500 to 600 kilometers per hour," the press service said.