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2023-11-10

Russia’s UAC to Increase Production of Il-76MD-90A Aircraft

By Dr. Nick

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited the Il-Aviastar aircraft plant, part of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), in Ulyanovsk last month to check the implementation of the state defence order for aircraft production. He inspected the production process of the Il-76MD-90A, as well as the repair and maintenance of the An-124-100 aircraft.

According to the minister, with the start of the special operation in Ukraine, the load on heavy military transport aircraft was quite high. In this regard, a significant increase in the Il-76MD-90A fleet is required.

The newest Russian Il-76MD-90A(E), created for export, belongs to the class of heavy military transport aircraft. Its main purpose is transportation by landing and parachute landing of personnel, military equipment and cargo, weapons, ammunition and property, evacuation and air transportation of seriously wounded and sick people. The aircraft is a deep modernisation of the well-proven Il-76MD military transport aircraft.

The new aircraft implements modern innovative technologies and design solutions, which include, new modified wing and reinforced landing gear, providing a larger payload (60 tonnes instead of 48 tonnes); modern, reliable and proven engines with a thrust of 16,000 kgf (instead of 12,000 kgf) at maximum increased mode with FADEC digital control system; a modern sighting and navigation flight system to ensure aircraft flight at all latitudes, day and night, in simple and adverse weather conditions, as well as automated flight along a programmed trajectory with detection of zones of active thunderstorm activity to bypass them; multi-channel optical-electronic sighting system MOEVS-90A for detection, recognition, automatic tracking of landmarks and landing sites, monitoring the entry of dropped cargo into specified sites; the President-S optical-electronic protection system to protect aircraft against damage from air-to-air, surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft artillery systems by detecting the fact of threats and countering attacking weapons; modern cockpit information and control field using multifunctional indicators and control panels; a new composition of the onboard communications complex, the onboard complex of information collection, processing and control systems; modern airborne transport equipment; improved anti-corrosion protection of the airframe and other airframe structural elements; the ability to operate the aircraft and engines based on technical condition instead of the planned preventive maintenance method, which allows reducing operating costs; and increased flight life of the aircraft of up to 30,000 flight hours.

Key Features

Il-76MD-90A(E) has a maximum take-off weight of 210 tonnes, a maximum payload weight of 60 tonnes, a flight speed of 750-800 km/h, a flight altitude of 12,200 m, a flight range with a payload of 60 tonnes – 4,000 km, with a payload 52 t – 5,000 km, ferry range 9,700 km, take-off length 1,540 m, and landing escape length of 960 m.

Il-76MD-90A(E) can be used in transport-landing, fire-fighting and medical versions. High transport capabilities allow it to transport and land landing personnel and up to 60 tonnes of military equipment, ammunition and cargo, containers from concrete runways (runways) and up to 33 tonnes from unpaved runways.

The aircraft is capable of delivering up to 145 military personnel in a single-deck version and 225 military personnel in a double-deck version, transporting 110 wounded (sick) on stretchers and four accompanying personnel in a sanitary version, and also parachute up to 126 paratroopers with full combat gear.

The Russian military transport aircraft is optimised for operations from both concrete and dirt runways. At the same time, it takes off and lands with a load of 33 tonnes on compacted soil strips with soil strength of 7.5 kg/cm2, which allows for the transfer of troops and military cargo to areas with poorly equipped infrastructure and also ensures the dispersal of these aircraft across operational airfields when withdrawing them from enemy attack during a threatened period or in wartime.

The design of the aircraft allows for many types of airframe repairs and replacement of units in the field; it also unifies the devices (fittings) of onboard fuel and oxygen refuelling systems, air conditioning systems and air starting of engines on the ground, as well as onboard power connectors with similar devices of foreign systems.

Il-76MD-90A(E) aircraft with new engines PS-90A-76 fully comply with current ICAO requirements for navigation, flight safety, terrain noise and emissions and can be operated worldwide without restrictions.

Combat Effectiveness

The best combat qualities and transport capabilities of the Il-76MD-90A manifested themselves during a special military operation when it was necessary to ensure the prompt transfer of troops, military equipment and weapons from remote basing areas to areas with unprepared aviation infrastructure, as well as to provide timely support for the combat effectiveness of troop groups when they conduct combat operations through the delivery of reserves and replenishment of personnel, military equipment and materiel for it, weapons and ammunition, evacuation of the wounded and sick.

The Il-76MD-90A(E) aircraft can be used in any geographical area and climatic conditions, day and night, in simple and adverse weather conditions, and has high flight safety due to the installation of four engines and duplication of the main systems of the aircraft and complex onboard equipment, autonomy of basing and operation at unprepared airfields, and high survivability of the aircraft in the air due to the installation of the latest optical-electronic protection system.

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