Lessons learned: Il-38N flies near USS Carl Vinson escorted by two fighters

The Ilyushin Il-38N Novella anti-submarine aircraft of the Russian Navy flew near the American aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, with its crew capturing the moment on video. US Air Force F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-35C Lightning II fighter jets escorted the Russian aircraft during the flight.

It's worth mentioning that this is not the first time a Russian Il-38N has approached American aircraft carriers. In 2020, it stealthily closed in on the carrier George Washington. That maneuver created serious challenges for the US military, as the Il-38 managed to approach the carrier undetected within 16 miles (about 30 km).

At the time, the US military was slow to react to the Russian aircraft, leading to media ridicule. Moreover, during that incident, American fighters scrambled for interception without missile armament on board and had to operate at the lower limit of their speed capabilities.

Judging by the latest video, the Americans have learned from past mistakes. At least one of the escorting fighter jets was visibly armed with missiles.

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USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) is the United States Navy's third Nimitz-class supercarrier. She is named for Carl Vinson (1883–1981), a congressman from Georgia, in recognition of his contributions to the U.S. Navy. The ship was launched during Vinson's lifetime in 1980, undertook her maiden voyage in 1983, and underwent refueling and overhaul between 2005 and 2009. Carl Vinson is currently the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 1 with Carrier Air Wing Two serving as her air wing.

The Ilyushin Il-38 (nicknamed Dolphin) (NATO reporting name: May) is a maritime patrol aircraft and anti-submarine warfare aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It was a development of the Ilyushin Il-18 turboprop transport. The Il-38 is an adaptation of the four-engined turboprop Ilyushin Il-18 for use as a maritime patrol aircraft for the Soviet Navy. It met a requirement to counter American ballistic missile submarines. The Communist Party Central Committee and the Council of Ministers issued a joint directive on 18 June 1960, calling for a prototype to be ready for trials by the second quarter of 1962. The fuselage, wing, tail unit and engine nacelles were the same as the Il-18 and it had the same powerplant and flight deck. An aerodynamic prototype of the Il-38 first flew on 28 September 1961, with the first production aircraft following in September 1967. Production continued until 1972, when the longer-range and more versatile Tupolev Tu-142 derivative of the Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bomber entered service.