OREANDA-NEWS The Russian Military Department in 2019, after 30 years, will resume patrolling the airspace near the North Pole.

According to this information, two squadrons of fighter-interceptors MiG-31BM of the Northern and Pacific fleets will take up combat duty. Last year, the defense Ministry held a series of tactical flight exercises to patrol the Arctic. The experience of using these aircraft was recognized as successful.

The interceptors were in the sky over the Arctic zone for 5 hours or more, made flights over a distance of more than 4 thousand km with refueling in the air.

According to military expert Dmitry Boltenkov, links MIG-31BM will also fly to accompany foreign bombers heading, for example, to Alaska. He added that the Northern fleet, which performs a number of strategic tasks, also needs to be covered by high-speed aircraft.

It is reported that currently a large number of "MIGs" is in storage, and if necessary, the fleet of existing machines can be quickly increased.

As noted by the honored military pilot major General Vladimir Popov, the characteristics of the MiG-31 allow you to perform any task in the Arctic. Today it is important to close this zone for the aircraft of the probable enemy.

Two squadrons will control the Arctic region. From the West, the Arctic will be covered by pilots of the joint strategic command "North" - the 98th separate mixed aviation regiment stationed in the Murmansk region at the airport of Monchegorsk. From the East, the 317th separate mixed regiment will answer for border security. It is based in the Kamchatka territory at the international airport of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Elizovo. Now a large number of aircraft of this type are in storage, and if desired, the number of machines can be quickly increased.

Recall, MIG-31-double long-range interceptor 4th generation. Without refueling, the aircraft is able to fly on distance to 3 thousand km's ceiling is 20.5 km and the Average duration of flight without refueling is 3.3 hours. A group of four interceptors is able to control the space, the length of which on the front is 800-900 km.