Special design and 20 kilometers altitude: will Russia reactivate reconnaissance aircraft in the war in Ukraine?

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In the war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia could reactivate an old high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft to identify targets on the Ukrainian side. The British intelligence service reported this on Sunday.

Accordingly, the Russian military suffers from a very limited reconnaissance capability. According to the intelligence update, the Kremlin has not created adequate target detection and reconnaissance capabilities in its procurement strategy. “Russia is now likely considering re-deploying the Soviet-era M-55 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft.”

The aircraft with the NATO reporting name Mystic B is actually only used for research flights in the field of geosciences, at least officially. In fact, the M-55 is a development of the Myasishchev M-17, a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft of the Cold War era, and should also be used for military purposes, according to experts. The aircraft was originally built for defense against balloons, but was never used for that purpose.

Special design stands out on the M-55

In addition to research operations, a machine that mounted a military reconnaissance capsule recently appeared. The British secret service relies on a photo from early November. The striking container had already been spotted during a military maneuver under a Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber.

The first flight of the M-55 took place in 1988. Originally, an entire fleet of reconnaissance aircraft was to be put into service. However, due to the difficult economic situation and the collapse of the Soviet Union, only five examples were built.

The M-55 stands out because of its special design. The aircraft has two tail booms that are connected to each other. Although the M-55 travels relatively slowly with a maximum speed of 750 km/h, it does reach extreme heights. The M-55 holds the world flight altitude record in its class: in 1993 the reconnaissance aircraft reached an altitude of 21,360 meters. By comparison, normal passenger planes nowadays fly at an altitude of about 10 kilometers.

Reduction of personnel losses

The machine is controlled by one pilot and has a maximum range of 4,800 kilometers. 1,500 kilograms of technical equipment, such as sensors and cameras, can be loaded. Specially designed boxes can also be attached to carry additional equipment. The range is quite short at 6,500 kilometers, but sufficient to carry out reconnaissance flights over Ukraine.

According to British intelligence, there is a good chance that Russia will now “conduct operations against Ukraine from relatively safe Russian airspace” with the M-55. The aim is to increase awareness about attacks by the Russian military and reduce personnel losses. The army of President Vladimir Putin (71) has suffered enormous losses again and again recently.

Source: Blick