EUROPE cr?c
USSR: Backfires for Baltic
SovteU may soon assign Backfire
bombers to the* Bitik Fleet
O*hroe end pooJbh- sis Back/Ires fle* from Oktyabrskoycnear the Black Sea. to Bribe, air-field lo tht Baltic Float araa. Okiyabakoye houses the Soviet navy's <wlj operations! Badrirc unit, and ihe flight could have been to familiarize Bsck fire crews with conditions at Byfchov.
onK at Oktyabnkoya; Ihe remainder have been delivered lo Long Range Aviation and are based at Poltava, aoutheaat of
Kiev.
Tbe Backfire, capable of highspeed attack missions at both high and lew
h being used to replace tha Soviet mvy'a standard In* lermediale-range bomber, the agingike (hel probaWy win be tued Tor over-water reconnaissance and for operation, against battue naval units and shore fadlitiea.
In addition lo the Backfire,ighter-bomben also have been recently assigned to (he Baltic Fleet. Thehe first fighter assignedhe Soviet navy in overdecade,igh-speed, low.aliitude capability (hatmake il mom effective than (hegainst (he fai( and highly maneuverabte. .mailer naval craft likely to be found in (be BaHlc.
K can also conduct strikes against coastal (argcti in support of amphibious or ground operations.
Original document.
Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: