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

NATO reporting name NATO uses a system of code names, called reporting names, to denote military aircraft and other equipment used by post-Soviet states, former Warsaw Pact countries, China, and other countries. The system assists military communications by providi ...

: Mail) is a

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

turboprop A turboprop is a Gas turbine, gas turbine engine that drives an aircraft Propeller (aeronautics), propeller. A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction drive, reduction gearbox, gas compressor, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propellin ...

-powered

amphibious aircraft An amphibious aircraft, or amphibian, is an aircraft that can Takeoff, take off and Landing, land on both solid ground and water. These aircraft are typically Fixed-wing aircraft, fixed-wing, though Amphibious helicopter, amphibious helicopte ...

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 weapon ...

and

maritime patrol Maritime patrol or maritime reconnaissance is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities. Maritime patrol refers to active ...

duties.

Design and development

The Beriev Be-12 was a successor to the

Beriev Be-6 The Beriev Be-6 ( USAF/DoD reporting name "Type 34", NATO reporting name "Madge") was a flying boat produced by the Soviet Beriev OKB. It was capable of accomplishing a wide variety of missions, such as long-range maritime reconnaissance, coas ...

flying boat A flying boat is a type of seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in having a fuselage that is purpose-designed for flotation, while floatplanes rely on fuselage-mounted floats for buoyancy. Though ...

, whose primary roles were as an anti-

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

and maritime

patrol bomber A maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), also known as a patrol aircraft, maritime reconnaissance aircraft, maritime surveillance aircraft, or by the older American term patrol bomber, is a fixed-wing aircraft designed to operate for long durations over ...

aircraft An aircraft ( aircraft) is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, i ...

. Though tracing its origins to the Be-6, the Be-12 inherited little more than the

gull wing The gull wing, also known as Polish wing or Puławski wing, is an aircraft wing configuration with a prominent bend in the wing inner section towards the wing root. Its name is derived from the seabirds which it resembles and from the Polish a ...

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 * Janu ...

, at Taganrog airfield, and made its first public appearance at the 1961

Soviet Aviation Day Russian Air Force Day () is a professional military holiday of Russia celebrated on 12 August to honor the active and reserve personnel, as well as veterans of the Russian Aerospace Forces. History Air Fleet Day (), also known as the Air Forces D ...

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 Soviet Naval Aviation (AV-MF, ) was the naval aviation arm of the Soviet Navy. Origins The first naval aviation units in Russia were formed in 1912–1914 as a part of the Baltic Fleet and the Black Sea Fleet. During World War I, the hydro ...

, 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 ectothermic, anamniote, anamniotic, tetrapod, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class (biology), class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all Tetrapod, tetrapods, but excl ...

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

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

submarines 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 bomber Aerial firefighting, also known as waterbombing, is the use of aircraft and other aerial resources to combat wildfires. The types of aircraft used include fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Smokejumpers and rappellers are also classified as ...

s for the suppression of forest fires. During development of the

Beriev Be-200 The Beriev Be-200 ''Altair'' () is a jet aircraft, jet-powered amphibious aircraft, amphibious flying boat of utility type designed and built by the Beriev, Beriev Aircraft Company. Marketed as being designed for aerial firefighting, fire figh ...

, 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.Gordon, Sal'nikov and Zablotskiy 2006, pp. 79–80. According to figures released in 1993, the

Russian Navy The Russian Navy is the Navy, naval arm of the Russian Armed Forces. It has existed in various forms since 1696. Its present iteration was formed in January 1992 when it succeeded the Navy of the Commonwealth of Independent States (which had i ...

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 () is an aviation museum in Monino, Moscow Oblast, Russia. A branch of the Central Armed Forces Museum, it is one of the world's largest aviation museums, and the largest for Soviet aircraft, with a collection includi ...

at Monino, outside of Moscow. Other examples exist at the

Ukraine State Aviation Museum The Oleg Antonov (aircraft designer), Oleg K. Antonov State Aviation Museum, known as Ukraine State Aviation Museum before 2018, is an aviation museum located next to Kyiv International Airport (Zhuliany), Zhuliany Airport in Kyiv, Ukraine. Both t ...

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 On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

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 a profession aimed at controlling and extinguishing fire. A person who engages in firefighting is known as a firefighter or fireman. Firefighters typically undergo a high degree of technical training. This involves structural fir ...

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 designed to destroy submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited ...

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 The Russian Naval Aviation () is the air arm of the Russian Navy, a successor of Soviet Naval Aviation. The Russian Navy is divided into four fleets and one flotilla: Northern Fleet, Pacific Fleet (Russia), Pacific Fleet, Baltic Fleet, Black Sea ...

– received ex-Soviet Union aircraft. Nine Aircraft still in operation with the

Black Sea Fleet The Black Sea Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Mediterranean Sea. The Black Sea Fleet, along with other Russian ground and air forces on the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula, are subordin ...

. ; *

Ukrainian Naval Aviation The Ukrainian Naval Aviation (, ) is a component of the Ukrainian Navy. During the breakup of the Soviet Union, significant portions of the Soviet Naval Aviation were based in Ukraine, which were intended to support the Black Sea Fleet. These fo ...

– received ex-Soviet aircraft, two still in operation of 10th Naval Aviation Brigade.

Former operators

; *

Azerbaijani Air Forces The Azerbaijani Air Forces and Air Defense Troops (stylized as ), composed of the Azerbaijani Air Forces () and the Azerbaijani Air Defense Troops (), are the aerial warfare, air and air defense service branch of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. H ...

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

Egyptian Air Force The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) () is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces that is responsible for all airborne defence missions and operates all military aircraft, including those used in support of the Egyptian Army, Egyptian Navy ...

– 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. ; *

– passed its aircraft to successor countries: Russia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan. ; *

Syrian Air Force The Syrian Air Force () is the air force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. It was established in 1948, and first saw action in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Under Ba'athist Syria until December 8, 2024, it was known as the Syrian Arab Air Forc ...

; *

Vietnam People's Air Force The Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF; ), officially the Air Defence - Air Force Service (ADAF Service; ) or the Vietnam Air Force (), is the Aerial warfare, aerial, Anti-aircraft warfare, air and Space warfare, space defence service branch of ...

– four aircraft 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 Aircraft with retractable conventional landing gear