Black Sea: Russian naval aviators rely on seaplanes

Why only now? After Ukraine's self-built surface drones have repeatedly caused damage to the Russian aggressor's naval forces as far as Novorossiysk at the other end of the Black Sea, a strategic rethink is now taking place - also publicised in the media: in order to take preventive action against the threat posed by these naval drones, more Russian naval aircraft are now to be deployed in the Black Sea. The speedbomb boats, which are remote-controlled by the inventive Ukrainians, can hardly be detected by the target ships they are aimed at and can only be eliminated at close range by a direct hit from small-calibre, body-controlled weapons (MG, Gatling, etc.). From the air, however, they are quite easy to recognise, provided they are travelling at high speed - then they are trailing a narrow, white wake that is relatively visible from a distance on the dark waters of the iron sulphide-rich sea. According to British analyses, the few (three?) remaining Mails (Beriev Be-12 Chayka (Seagull)) amphibious aircraft and short-range sub-hunters are increasingly being used to spot these drone boats far off Sevastopol - preferably in the northern sea area off Odessa. They are also slow enough for visual identification in low-level flight and can guide the Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer naval bombers on standby in Crimea in the fight if they are sighted. As they can also drop mines, they pose an additional threat to the resumed Ukrainian grain transports. But what do you do at night? After all, the Mail's Short Horn search radar hasn't got any younger since the 1950s.