mainly due to a shortage of serviceable The once mighty fleet of Be-12 amphibians operated by the Russian naval air arm has dwindled to just a handful. Alexander Mladenov provides an overview of the last survivors.
Russian Be-12
Be-12N ‘Yellow 28’ was the first of the type overhauled at the EARZ plant in Yevpatoria and was redelivered to the 318th SAP in December 2016.
To date, six Be-12s have been cycled through overhaul in Taganrog and Yevpatoria to extend their service lives. Work was completed between 2014 and 2017.
All photos Andrey Zinchuk
The Voyenno-Morskoy Flot Rossiyskoy Federatsii (VMF, Russian Navy) includes a few obsolescent and exotic aircraft types. Without doubt, the twinturboprop Beriev Be-12 Tchaika (seagull) is the most unusual. Still in regular service with the Black Sea Fleet, the veteran aircraft continues its search and rescue (SAR), antisubmarine warfare (ASW), maritime patrol and peacetime fleet-support duties.
