In the sky over the Chelyabinsk region, MiG-31BM interceptor-jets of the Central Military District worked out one of the most difficult elements of flight training – refueling in the air.

The fighters went to the specified area of the meeting with the Il-78 air tanker and refueled. The crews made a rapprochement with the tanker at a minimum distance of about 10 meters, carried out the docking of the refueling rod with a cone sensor and worked out the refueling process at a speed of 500 km / h. Only experienced pilots are allowed to fly this complexity, since in these conditions, in order to maintain the required distance, the pilots had to control the power of the engines manually. When working out the flight program, the fighter crews overcame more than 2.5 thousand kilometers and landed at the Shagol airfield.

Performing refueling in the air increases the flight radius of the aircraft by one and a half times, which allows the crews of operational and tactical aviation to successfully perform tasks to ensure the safety of airspace of Volga, Ural and Siberia regions.