Did the USSR ever develope any Spy planes?

I was wondering if the USSR ever planned or attempted to create any type of Spy Plane like the U2? (especially after they shot Gary Powers's U2, which landed pretty much intact).

Wouldn't it have made sense for the Russians to attempt to have a plane capable of spying on the US military for the same reasons the US had theirs?

Just curious if anyone has read/ heard anything referring to this topic.

Yes they did one such craft was the M-17 Mystic. It was designed to hunt the Project Mogul ballons

The Myasishchev M-17 "Mystic" (Ram-M) high-altitude aircraft is the Soviet equivalent of the U-2. This twin-boomed aircraft with a high aspect ratio wing was initially developed to shoot down US reconnaissance balloons drifting over the USSR in the mid-1950s. Subsequently it was modified as single-seat reconnaissance and research aircraft. The first two prototypes (Mystic-A) had a single turbojet engine, and were used for aerodynamic and atmospheric research. The subsequent M-55 (Mystic-B), also designated M-17R, was a twin-jet version built by the Molniya Scientific and Industrial Enterprise (which absorbed the Myasishchev Bureau). Cameras and other sensors are housed in a large compartment in the lower fuselage.
globalsecurity.org...

Here is some info on the the M-55

High altitude M-55 Geophysica aircraft. Aircraft M-55 Geophysica is capable to fly in any geographic latitude in visual and instrument meteorological conditions. M-55 Geophysica aircraft is a modification of M-17 Stratosphera aircraft by which 25 world records have been set up. The aircraft structure embodies all achievements of M-17 that provide highly efficient performance of this new high altitude aircraft. In 1993 M-55 Geophysica aircraft set up 16 world records.
www.su-30.com...

Hmm thanks FredT i'll have to look into this. I'm surprised that the Russians didn't mistake the balloons as UFOs

The M-17 and M-55 are relatively modern by comparison with the U-2, I think a closer comparison and of the same vintage is the Yakovlev Yak-25RV Mandrake, which featured extended wings similar to the U-2's and was a conversion of the Yak 25 all weather fighter in a similar fashion to the USAF's RB-57 extended wing Canberra.

I know the USSR had spy planes! Many of their spy planes were modified from other aircraft, so they weren't as ovioius as most of ours. One of their main spy plane was the Bear F, a reconn version of the TU-95 bomber. They also had the Mig-25D/F which was used to spy. Using existing planes to make spy planes was common, because that allowed them to hide them easier. The USA did the same thing when they built Rivit Joint spy planes(RC-135's) using old KC/C-135's. As far as custom-built spy planes, like the U-2 or SR-71, I'm not sure!

Tim
ATS Director of Counter-Ignorance

Yakovlev Yak-25 was a direct competitor to american U-2. But there were also another planes. Currently I am not at home, but after two days I will be back and post some pictures and info.

Most Soviet era aerial surveillance was done by aircraft like the Bear bomber, some variants were outfitted with SIGINT and other hardware. All the footage you see of the Cold War of US jets intercepting Bear bombers was in fact recce types.

I could swear that I remember a Russian plane resembling the U2 almost exactly, but I'm blanking on the name and designation.... I think Tupolev made it, but not sure...

Here's another though...the NM-1...



[edit on 8-3-2005 by Gazrok]

The Tsybin NM-1 was only a one off test plane though, similar to the Bristol 188, the design was never used operationally.

I think the KGB was doing such a good job with it's HUMINT, it didn't need special planes

Less cheeky remarks from you, Manfred von Richthofen, or I'll go Captain Arthur "Roy" Brown on your ass.

Don't forget the MIG-25 recon version that overflew Israel in the late 60's untouched.

Now the big question: did they ever make United States overflights. And did the US ever try to shoot one down? Or succeed in doing so?

I dont think they had the kind of forward bases to us that we did, except possibly cuba, but we kept pretty good track of there, so i dont believe any overflights were made of the continental US

Alaska on the other hand i imagine had overflights all the time

The Russians gathered a lot of their intelligence from Tu-95's flying up and down the eastern seaboard of the USA, there is a book entitled 'Aerial Espionage' (which I no linger own) which gave many accounts of such ops on both sides of the iron curtain going back to B-45 and Lincoln spy operations over East Germany in the late 1940's and following right through to the present day (about 1990 when the book was published anyway)including MiG 25R and SR-71 ops. Its a good read if you can pick one up.

They also put SIGNIT gear into Aeroflot aircraft.

Damn, Beat me to it by a long shot, yep, closest thing the Russians have to the U-2 is the M-55 Geophysics...

but I wont parrot everyone else, but I do know a TU-95 got lost above our country and it had to be escorted home...lol

Huh - I found it. Yak-25 competitor was Berijev S-13.

Wow, that's a blatant rip off on the U-2!