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Russia reactivates its rare M-55 Geophysica reconnaissance aircraft after a flight from Ramenskoe airfield near Moscow on November 4, 2023. Photo/Bulgarian Military
MOSCOW – Russia reactivated its rare M-55 Geophysica reconnaissance aircraft after flying from the Ramenskoe airfield near Moscow on November 4 2023. This reconnaissance aircraft, which was developed during the Soviet Union era, is capable of flying as high as 20 km above the earth’s surface.
The M-55 Geophysica reconnaissance aircraft was created in the early 1960s as a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft for missile attacks. The Soviet Union began designing this aircraft with the code M-17 Stratosphere to intercept the US U-2 reconnaissance aircraft.
The Defense Express page states that this plane was only able to take to the air for the first time in 1982, when the issue of high-altitude balloons lost its relevance. This new project received the M-55 Geophysica index when it flew in 1988.
It is known that a total of 5 such aircraft were produced and since 1996 they have been converted to carry out scientific experiments of a civil nature, in particular to study the stratosphere. In 2017, Russia reported that the M-55 Geophysica aircraft was allegedly put into conservation and disappeared until it reappeared on November 4, 2023.
Against this background, Soviet officials decided to repurpose high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft for missile guidance. Russia will use the OTR-23 ballistic missile (NATO code SS-23 Spider) from the 9K720 Iskander (NATO code SS-26 Stone) short-range ballistic missile system.
The fact of resumption of flights of the M M-55 Geophysica aircraft may be related to work on the development of on-board equipment for tactical aviation of the Russian Air Force. This may also indicate an attempt to find out the use of this aircraft for its original purpose – reconnaissance for missile attacks.
A photo has appeared in the public domain, leading to allegations that Russia has deconserved and resumed flights of its rare M-55 Geophysica reconnaissance aircraft. A special container, possibly UKR-RT (short for Universal Reconnaissance Container – Electronic Intelligence) with ELINT equipment, is visible under the wing of this plane.
For the first time, such containers were seen under a Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber during the “Zapad-2021” maneuvers carried out by the Russian army two years ago. The resumption of M-55 Geophysica flights can have two meanings.
The first was part of engineering the equipment on board the aircraft for tactical flights. Both steps to resume the aircraft’s original intended reconnaissance role were made in missile attacks.
The M-55 Geophysica reconnaissance aircraft has specifications for a fuselage length of 22.67 meters, a wingspan of 37.4 meters, and a maximum take-off weight of just over 23 tons. Designed for a single pilot, the aircraft reaches a top speed of around 743 km/h at an optimal altitude of 20 km.
“The aircraft’s maximum flight altitude is 21.5 km, and its practical range reaches 1,220 km,” wrote Bulgarian Military, quoted by SINDOnews, Monday (6/11/2023).
(wib)