During the 1950s, the Soviets had conducted a study on light aircraft carriers – after already noting that half of the Soviet’s large ... primarily for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) role ...

Among the targets of the scrambles, more than half of them—464 ... over the East China Sea and a Russian Il-38 maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft over the Sea of Japan ...

the only VTOL aircraft in the Soviet arsenal. However, since they took on anti-submarine roles as well, the carriers cut that down to half so they could carry a dozen Ka-25 helicopters.

According to NORAD, the Russian operated in the area for two and half hours and were positively ... one TU-142 F/J maritime patrol aircraft and anti-submarine plane, one A-50 Mainstay early ...