As part of a government contract, the Russian Defense Ministry signed an agreement with Aviastar-SP JSC (Ulyanovsk) for the supply of ten new Il-78M-90A tanker aircraft.

This was reported on the website of the manufacturer and on the website of the governor and the government of the Ulyanovsk region.

The contract was signed at the Ulyanovsk enterprise, the Aviastar-SP plant is part of the transport aviation division of PJSC UAC (United Aircraft Corporation) of the Rostec State Corporation.

The document was signed by the Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia Alexei Krivoruchko and the First Deputy General Director of PJSC UAC, Managing Director of PJSC Il Sergei Yarkov.

Commenting on the agreement, Aleksey Krivoruchko noted that the Ulyanovsk plant "is entering rhythmic serial production."

"The enterprise is provided with orders of the Ministry of Defense for the long term, and today another state contract has been signed for the supply of ten promising Il-78M-90A tanker aircraft for the needs of the Ministry, which will further strengthen the financial and economic situation of the enterprise and provide additional jobs for the Ulyanovsk region", - the press service of the government of the Ulyanovsk region quotes the words of the Deputy Minister of Defense.

Universal Soldier

Recall that the construction of the first prototype of the Il-78M-90A tanker aircraft began in February 2015.

The promising aircraft was developed by the designers of OJSC Aviation Complex im.

S.V.

Ilyushin ".

  • IL-76MD-90

  • © www.aviastar-sp.ru

Development work to create a promising aircraft was carried out under a contract with the Ministry of Defense.

The Il-78M-90A became the first tanker aircraft built in Russia.

Previously, all aircraft of the Il-78 series were produced in Uzbekistan by the former Tashkent Aviation Production Association named after V.P.

Chkalov ("TAPOiCH").

In 2012, the enterprise was renamed into "Tashkent Mechanical Plant".

The Il-78M-90A was developed on the basis of the Il-76MD-90A aircraft, the main heavy military transport aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

This is also a fairly new machine - the first instance of the Il-76MD-90A was built in 2011.

At the request of the Ministry of Defense, the tanker aircraft retained the ability to use the Il-78M-90A as a transport aircraft.

For this, the ramp (a device that allows loading and unloading operations on an aircraft -

RT

) and landing equipment

were retained in its design

.

The plane can also be used to extinguish fires.

The designers have provided for the possibility of installing fire extinguishing equipment on the Il-78M-90A.

At the same time, the tanker has great capabilities in its main purpose.

The IL-78M-90A provides for the installation of additional fuel tanks inside the cargo compartment, as well as overhead refueling units.

According to experts, this versatility allows, if necessary, to use the machine to solve a variety of tasks.

“There are few aircraft with such a set of capabilities.

Such convertibility allows performing various missions: not only refueling aircraft, but also transporting cargo and personnel, "military expert Yuri Knutov noted in a commentary on RT.

"New solutions"

It is assumed that the Il-78M-90A aircraft will become the main tanker for long-range, front-line and special aviation aircraft.

Such an aircraft is capable of simultaneously refueling two front-line aircraft, such as the Su-27 or MiG-29, in the air.

Refueling of this type of aircraft is carried out using units mounted on the wing.

Long-range and special aircraft can be refueled using the tail refueling unit Il-78M-90A.

In this case, we are also talking about air filling.

In this case, refueling can be carried out both during the day and at night.

Being on the ground, the Il-78M-90A is capable of refueling four aircraft simultaneously.

  • Aircraft Su-27 and MiG-29

  • © REUTERS / Sergei Karpukhin

As the Honored Pilot of the Russian Federation, Major General Vladimir Popov, explained in an interview with RT, the aircraft had such an opportunity thanks to additional fuel automation systems.

“Simultaneous refueling of two aircraft in the air is quite easy to implement technically, but difficult psychophysically.

It is difficult for pilots of refueling aircraft to maintain a given flight regime, but automation helps in this case, ”the expert noted.

The new tanker is equipped with four new-generation PS-90A-76 turbojet engines.

As reported on the website of the UEC "Perm Motors", PS-90A-76 engines were certified in 2003, serial production began at PMZ in 2004.

The contract for the supply of engines for the Il-78M-90A was signed in 2013.

According to experts, the IL-78M-90A owes its increased payload and flight range to the new Russian engines.

“The improved characteristics that the IL-78M-90A possesses are largely due to the installation of new generation engines on it.

Today in Russia there is a technological platform for creating powerful, efficient motors, ”explained Yuri Knutov.

Vladimir Popov adheres to a similar point of view.

According to the expert, the improved characteristics of the new aircraft are associated with both engines and new avionics, automation, a modernized fuselage and wings.

“Thanks to new design solutions, the efficiency of the machine has increased,” added the expert.

An irreplaceable role

In addition to modern engines, the IL-78M-90A is equipped with an updated flight and navigation system and the so-called "glass cockpit".

The glass cockpit system is an advanced control panel using digital displays instead of traditional sensors.

Such a system allows the aircraft crew to quickly navigate the situation and control many systems by pressing one button.

The use of a "glass cockpit" improves the accuracy of readings received by pilots, as well as optimizes aircraft maintenance costs and improves flight safety.

The first flight of a model of the promising Il-78M-90A aircraft took place in January 2018.

The tanker was presented to the general public during the MAKS-2019 air show.

  • Il-78 tanker aircraft and Tu-160 strategic bomber-missile carrier

  • RIA News

  • © Ilya Pitalev

As the designer of PJSC "Il" Nikolai Talikov previously noted in an interview with RT, an aircraft such as the Il-78M-90A is needed to provide long-distance flights for military transport, bomber and fighter aircraft.

We can talk, for example, about strategic bombers Tu-160, which fly at a range of about 10 thousand km without landing.

Note that in September 2020, the Russian Aerospace Forces Tu-160 aircraft set a record by completing a non-stop flight over a distance of 20 thousand km.

According to experts, the appearance of new fuel tankers in the Russian Aerospace Forces will seriously strengthen the defense capability and potential of the army.

“The IL-78M-90A aircraft is not only a machine of today, but also of tomorrow.

In general, the expansion of the fleet of air tankers increases the capabilities of long-range missile-carrying aviation.

The role of tanker aircraft is very important.

It is they that make it possible to operate and carry out the tasks of long-range aviation, ”noted Yuri Knutov.

As Vladimir Popov explained, in turn, tanker aircraft play an important role in the Aerospace Forces.

“For example, long-range and front-line aviation cannot do without them.

It is the fuel tankers that make it possible to quickly increase the range of action of strike groups and the range of operations, ”concluded the expert.