Kiev began flying the aircraft outside the Soviet Union in July 1976, before the Yak-38's official service entry. Those flights alarmed observers because they made Soviet fixed-wing carrier aviation visible beyond home waters. A little over six years later, Minsk launched Forgers when aircraft from USS Enterprise approached the Soviet carrier group. Missile-armed aircraft from the two carriers came within visual range of each other. Western navies had long treated carrier aviation as their own preserve. The encounter demonstrated a new Soviet flexibility, although the Kiev system still fell short of a Western strike carrier.
Notable Point · 34:31-35:52
Kiev's foreign flights and the Minsk intercept
Kiev flew Forgers outside the Soviet Union before official service entry, and Minsk later intercepted USS Enterprise aircraft near the Soviet carrier group.