Yak-28: A Versatile Turbojet Aircraft Of The Cold War – SlashGear

The Yak-28 came in many versions that allowed it to become one of the most versatile crafts in the Soviet Union’s repertoire during the Cold War. The NATO codenames referred to the variants with the Brewer being the bomber, Maestro for the trainer, and Firebar for the interceptor. Considering the 1960 service date, the Yak-28 never saw any combat, but that didn’t stop the Soviet Union from rolling out more and more models.

Speaking of the variants, these were split into further subcategories. The Brewer, as just one of the examples, came with five different versions ranging from the Brewer-A all the way to the Brewer-E designation, all of which had more features than the last. The Brewer-E had an estimated 30 in use in 1986, down from the estimated 150 of the Brewer-D, so it didn’t necessarily mean they outright replaced each other. As for variants with combat capabilities, you’d have to look to the Firebar. These flew in pairs and came equipped with two air-to-air missiles each.

As of today, the Yak-28 line of planes is no longer in active service. The legacy lives on, however, as the Yak-28 bomber variant is a playable aircraft in the free-to-play video game “War Thunder,” alongside several other ships, planes, and tanks from the Cold War era.