The Myasishchev M-55 ‘Mystic-B' high-altitude aircraft may be returned to service by Russia to fill an ISTAR gap over Ukraine. (Janes/Paul Jackson)

Russia may be about to return to service its Soviet Union-era Myasishchev M-55 ‘Mystic-B' high-altitude aircraft as it looks to fill an intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability gap, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has ascertained.

The UK MoD said in its Defence Intelligence update on Ukraine on 19 November that “Russia is likely considering bringing the M-55 aircraft back into service”, noting “a critical flaw in Russian procurement strategy has been its failure to establish an adequate ISTAR capability. This is critical for the timely and accurate prosecution of targets by air, sea, and ground forces”. For the MoD, ‘likely' represents a 55–75% probability.

The Myasishchev M-55 ‘Mystic-B' high-altitude aircraft may be returned to service by Russia to fill an ISTAR gap over Ukraine. (Janes/Paul Jackson)

Russia may be about to return to service its Soviet Union-era Myasishchev M-55 ‘Mystic-B' high-altitude aircraft as it looks to fill an intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability gap, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has ascertained.

The UK MoD said in its Defence Intelligence update on Ukraine on 19 November that “Russia is likely considering bringing the M-55 aircraft back into service”, noting “a critical flaw in Russian procurement strategy has been its failure to establish an adequate ISTAR capability. This is critical for the timely and accurate prosecution of targets by air, sea, and ground forces”. For the MoD, ‘likely' represents a 55–75% probability.

The Myasishchev M-55 ‘Mystic-B' high-altitude aircraft may be returned to service by Russia to fill an ISTAR gap over Ukraine. (Janes/Paul Jackson)

Russia may be about to return to service its Soviet Union-era Myasishchev M-55 ‘Mystic-B' high-altitude aircraft as it looks to fill an intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability gap, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has ascertained.

The UK MoD said in its Defence Intelligence update on Ukraine on 19 November that “Russia is likely considering bringing the M-55 aircraft back into service”, noting “a critical flaw in Russian procurement strategy has been its failure to establish an adequate ISTAR capability. This is critical for the timely and accurate prosecution of targets by air, sea, and ground forces”. For the MoD, ‘likely' represents a 55–75% probability.

The Myasishchev M-55 ‘Mystic-B' high-altitude aircraft may be returned to service by Russia to fill an ISTAR gap over Ukraine. (Janes/Paul Jackson)

Russia may be about to return to service its Soviet Union-era Myasishchev M-55 ‘Mystic-B' high-altitude aircraft as it looks to fill an intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability gap, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has ascertained.

The UK MoD said in its Defence Intelligence update on Ukraine on 19 November that “Russia is likely considering bringing the M-55 aircraft back into service”, noting “a critical flaw in Russian procurement strategy has been its failure to establish an adequate ISTAR capability. This is critical for the timely and accurate prosecution of targets by air, sea, and ground forces”. For the MoD, ‘likely' represents a 55–75% probability.

The Myasishchev M-55 ‘Mystic-B' high-altitude aircraft may be returned to service by Russia to fill an ISTAR gap over Ukraine. (Janes/Paul Jackson)

Russia may be about to return to service its Soviet Union-era Myasishchev M-55 ‘Mystic-B' high-altitude aircraft as it looks to fill an intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability gap, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has ascertained.

The UK MoD said in its Defence Intelligence update on Ukraine on 19 November that “Russia is likely considering bringing the M-55 aircraft back into service”, noting “a critical flaw in Russian procurement strategy has been its failure to establish an adequate ISTAR capability. This is critical for the timely and accurate prosecution of targets by air, sea, and ground forces”. For the MoD, ‘likely' represents a 55–75% probability.

The Myasishchev M-55 ‘Mystic-B' high-altitude aircraft may be returned to service by Russia to fill an ISTAR gap over Ukraine. (Janes/Paul Jackson)

Russia may be about to return to service its Soviet Union-era Myasishchev M-55 ‘Mystic-B' high-altitude aircraft as it looks to fill an intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability gap, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has ascertained.

The UK MoD said in its Defence Intelligence update on Ukraine on 19 November that “Russia is likely considering bringing the M-55 aircraft back into service”, noting “a critical flaw in Russian procurement strategy has been its failure to establish an adequate ISTAR capability. This is critical for the timely and accurate prosecution of targets by air, sea, and ground forces”. For the MoD, ‘likely' represents a 55–75% probability.