First, thanks Mos for your answer. I never understood why the Tailhook singleseaters are about "social experience". Opposite, MPRA is about social things as the piloting is not the main job AFAIK, the main job is to organize the crew's activity. What could be more "social"? And now I think that VP officers are prone to be such due to the competition that lasts constantly: while they are aloft, too - moreover, within one airframe.
Second, I'm not Russian citizen, I have both Belarussian and Ukranian passports and I was born in Ukraine, so nowadays you Brett should look hard for the worst enemy of Russian politics on Ukraine than me.
Third and the last - I carefully avoid the sensitive things, namely due to the status of Russia. This is not my fault that NATO and Russia are adversaries again, I'm just interested in the matters what is common and what differs in military and naval realms of different countries. One can notice that the best history books about some military systems or eras were written by foreign authors, foreign in relation to the subjects. For some unexplainable reason, native people within the country usually have no noticeable interest, beyond the narrow and specialized communities. That is why I'm here, and aside, am very grateful to AW visitors - you too, Brett - for answers and comments. So thanks again.