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Russia Tests Su-24M Aerial Refueling in Arctic Darkness to Expand Operational Reach
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Russia’s Northern Fleet has conducted a high-stakes aerial refueling exercise under polar night conditions in the Far North, using Su-24M frontline bombers and Il-78 tanker aircraft to test extended range operations in one of the world’s most extreme environments, according to TASS on December 17.
The fleet’s press service stated that the training took place during a scheduled flight shift and involved Su-24M crews operating in assigned areas, carrying out an approach and contact docking with the Il-78’s refueling cones.
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The outlet reported that the exercise was designed to “significantly expand the operational radius and time spent in the air” of Russian strike aircraft.
By practicing in-flight refueling during the polar night—a period when the sun does not rise above the horizon—the drill demonstrated Russia’s ability to maintain combat readiness and project air power in the harshest of climates.
Built for deep, low-altitude strike missions, the Su-24M’s ability to refuel in flight under polar-night conditions strengthens Russian Northern Fleet’s capacity to sustain long-duration sorties over the Barents and Norwegian Seas and, if required, to push operations farther into the North Atlantic area that Russia has long prioritized for the defense of its strategic forces.
Earlier, it was reported that analysis of Russia’s Northern Fleet highlighted its role in Arctic power projection and raised concerns about potential military campaigns around Svalbard, noting the fleet’s strategic positioning and assets in extreme northern conditions.
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