RUSSIAN FENCER PLANES PERFORM FIRST PLANNED FLIGHTS IN CRIMEA

SEVASTOPOL, May 30 (AVN) - The Black Sea Fleet attack aviation pilots got an opportunity to take planned flights after a two-year break, a source in the fleet's staff told the Military News Agency.

The fleet has 18 SU-24M Fencer frontline bombers. All of them are based at the Gvardeyskoye village airport.

The fleet began to receive the planes in January 2000.

The Fencers replaced the SU-17 Fitter fighter-bombers, that had exhausted their resource. Four more Fencers will fly to the Crimea in the near future. The aircraft can go on a complex around-the-clock aerial reconnaissance penetrating up to 400km beyond the combat line.