The Beriev Be-12 ''Chayka'' ("Seagull",

NATO reporting name NATO reporting names are code names for military equipment from Russia, China, and historically, the Eastern Bloc (Soviet Union and other nations of the Warsaw Pact). They provide unambiguous and easily understood English words in a uniform manne ...

: Mail) is a Soviet turboprop-powered

amphibious aircraft An amphibious aircraft or amphibian is an aircraft (typically fixed-wing) that can take off and land on both solid ground and water, though amphibious helicopters do exist as well. Fixed-wing amphibious aircraft are seaplanes ( flying boats ...

designed in the 1950s for

anti-submarine An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapo ...

and maritime

patrol A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as Law enforcement officer, law enforcement officers, military personnel, or Security guard, security personnel, that are assigned to monitor or secure a specific geographic area. Etymology Fro ...

duties.

Design and development

The Beriev Be-12 was a successor to the Beriev Be-6

flying boat A flying boat is a type of fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in that a flying boat's fuselage is purpose-designed for floatation and contains a hull, while floatplanes rely on fusela ...

, whose primary roles were as an anti-

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

and maritime patrol bomber aircraft. Though tracing its origins to the Be-6, the Be-12 inherited little more than the gull wing and twin oval tailfin configuration of the older aircraft. The Be-12 has turboprop engines, which gave it an improved speed and range over the Be-6. The Be-12 also had retractable landing gear, which enabled it to land on normal land runways, as well as water. The Be-12 was first flown on October 18,

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

, at Taganrog airfield, and made its first public appearance at the 1961 Soviet Aviation Day festivities at Tushino airfield. A total of 150 aircraft were produced, in several variations, with production ending in 1973.

Operational history

The Be-12 entered service with Soviet Naval Aviation, or AV-MF (''Aviatcia Voenno-Morskogo Flota''), in the early 1960s in the maritime patrol role, and is one of the few

amphibians Amphibians are four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arbore ...

still in military service in the world. Initially its role was ASW patrol, but when newer missiles enabled United States Navy

s to launch from further offshore it was converted to the search and rescue role (Be-12PS). Small numbers are still in service. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, some aircraft were converted to water bombers for the suppression of forest fires. During development of the

Beriev Be-200 The Beriev Be-200 ''Altair'' (russian: Бериев Бе-200) is a utility amphibious aircraft designed and built by the Beriev Aircraft Company. Marketed as being designed for fire fighting, search and rescue, maritime patrol, cargo, and pass ...

unique fire-fighting equipment was tested using a specially modified Be-12P, code-named "12 Yellow". After installation of the fire-fighting system, the aircraft was registered as RA-00046 and given the designation Be-12P-200. This modified Be-12 was also used to trial firefighting operations envisaged for the

Be-200 The Beriev Be-200 ''Altair'' (russian: Бериев Бе-200) is a utility amphibious aircraft designed and built by the Beriev Aircraft Company. Marketed as being designed for fire fighting, search and rescue, maritime patrol, cargo, and pass ...

.Gordon, Sal'nikov and Zablotskiy 2006, pp. 79–80. According to figures released in 1993, the Russian Navy had 55 aircraft in service. By 2005 this had dropped to 12, and by 2008 there were only nine aircraft still in service. A surviving Be-12 is preserved at the

Central Air Force Museum The Central Air Force Museum (russian: Центральный музей Военно-воздушных сил РФ) is an aviation museum in Monino, Moscow Oblast, Russia. A branch of the Central Armed Forces Museum, it is one of the world's la ...

at Monino, outside of Moscow. Other examples exist at the Ukraine State Aviation Museum at Kyiv, Ukraine and at the Taganrog Air Museum, in southern Russia. It has been reported that the planes have been conducting patrols of the Crimean coast in the context of the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

Variants

;Be-12 :Twin-engined maritime reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare flying-boat. 2 prototypes and 130 production airframes built. ;Be-12EKO :Projected ecological reconnaissance version. Not built. ;Be-12I :Projected scientific research version designed in 1991. Not built. ;Be-12LL :Conversion for testing the 3M-80 'Moskit' anti-shipping missile. Nose radar replaced with missile seeker head. One aircraft converted in 1980. ;Be-12N :ASW version fitted with new sensors, avionics, MAD sensor and Nartsiss search/attack system. 27 aircraft converted. ;Be-12Nkh :Utility transport, experimental passenger transport version. Military equipment removed, additional windows fitted. 2 built, both converted from Be-12. ;Be-12P :

Firefighting Firefighting is the act of extinguishing or preventing the spread of unwanted fires from threatening human lives and destroying property and the environment. A person who engages in firefighting is known as a firefighter. Firefighters typically ...

version. One 4,500 L tank and two 750 L tanks installed. Four aircraft converted in 1992. ;Be-12P-200 :Technology demonstrator for the

. Fire-fighting configuration. One aircraft converted. ;Be-12PS :Maritime Search and rescue version. Life rafts and survival equipment carried. 6 crew. 10 built new, 4 converted from Be-12. ;Be-12SK :One aircraft converted in 1961 for use in SK-1 nuclear

depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive Shock factor, hydraulic shock. Most depth ...

tests. ;Be-14 :All weather, day/night SAR version. Additional SAR and medical equipment. 6 crew. AI-20D engines. One built. ;M-12 :Stripped-down Be-12 used for record-setting flights. 2 Crew. Later returned to standard configuration.

Operators

Current operators

; * Russian Naval Aviation – received ex-Soviet Union aircraft. Nine Aircraft still in operation with the

Black Sea Fleet Chernomorskiy flot , image = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet , dates = May 13, ...

RIA Novosti RIA Novosti (russian: РИА Новости), sometimes referred to as RIAN () or RIA (russian: РИА, label=none) is a Russian state-owned domestic news agency. On 9 December 2013 by a decree of Vladimir Putin it was liquidated and its asse ...

news agency �
Russian Navy to receive 4 new amphibious planes by 2013
; * Ukrainian Naval Aviation – received ex-Soviet aircraft, two still in operation.

Former Operators

; *

Azerbaijani Air Forces Azerbaijani Air Forces and Air Defence often referred to as the Azerbaijani Air Force ( az, Azərbaycan hərbi hava qüvvələri) is the air force and air defence force of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. History The roots of the current organis ...

– inherited three aircraft from the Soviet Union. They were decommissioned around 2000, and scrapped in 2018. ; *

Egyptian Air Force The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) ( ar, القوات الجوية المصرية, El Qūwāt El Gawīyä El Maṣrīya), is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces that is responsible for all airborne defence missions and operates all milit ...

– operated two or three Be-12s circa 1970, crewed by Soviet personnel, to maintain surveillance on the United States Navy's 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean.''Air International Magazine'', August 1995, p. 88; example photo, p. 83. ; * Soviet Naval Aviation – passed its aircraft to successor countries: Russia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan. ; * Syrian Air Force ; * Vietnam People's Air Force – four aircraft exported in 1981.

Specifications (Be-12)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Yefim Gordon, Andrey Sal'nikov and Aleksandr Zablotskiy (2006) ''Beriev's Jet Flying Boats''. Hinckley, UK: Midland Publishing. * * {{Beriev aircraft Be-0012 1960s Soviet patrol aircraft Flying boats Gull-wing aircraft High-wing aircraft Amphibious aircraft Twin-turboprop tractor aircraft Aerial firefighting aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1960 Twin-tail aircraft