Beriev Be-12
The Beriev Be-12 Chayka is a Soviet turboprop-powered amphibious aircraft designed in the 1950s for anti-submarine and maritime patrol duties.
Design and development
The Beriev Be-12 was a successor to the Beriev Be-6 flying boat, whose primary roles were as an anti-submarine 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, 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, in the early 1960s in the maritime patrol role, and is one of the few amphibious aircraft still in military service in the world. Initially its role was ASW patrol, but when newer missiles enabled United States Navy submarines to launch from further offshore it was converted to the search and rescue role. A few 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, 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.
According to figures released in 1993, the Russian Navy had 55 aircraft in service. By 2005 this had dropped to 12, and to nine by 2008. A surviving Be-12 is preserved at the Central Air Force Museum at Monino, outside of Moscow. There are other examples 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 along and around the Crimean coast during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. This includes searching for Ukrainian Unmanned surface vehicles.
On 21 September 2025, the Ukrainian HUR claimed that it had destroyed Russian Be-12 Chayka amphibious aircraft for the first time, attacking two in Crimea. The serviceability of the craft targeted is unclear with one of them appearing to be missing its propellers.
Russia has been using Be-12 in combat on the Black Sea during the Russian Invasion of Ukraine.
Variants
;Be-12;Be-12EKO
;Be-12I
;Be-12LL
;Be-12N
;Be-12Nkh
;Be-12P
;Be-12P-200
;Be-12PS
;Be-12SK
;Be-14
;M-12
Operators
Current operators
- Russian Naval Aviation – received ex-Soviet Union aircraft. Between two and seven Aircraft still in operation with the Black Sea Fleet.
- Ukrainian Naval Aviation – received ex-Soviet aircraft, two still in operation of 10th Naval Aviation Brigade.
Former operators
- Azerbaijani Air Forces – inherited three aircraft from the Soviet Union. They were decommissioned around 2000, and scrapped in 2018.
- Egyptian Air Force – 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.
- Soviet Naval Aviation – passed its aircraft to successor countries: Russia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan.
- Syrian Air Force
- Vietnam People's Air Force – four aircraft in 1981.