Future Russian Air Force AWACS Radar Aircraft

10/08/2011 Posted by Armed Forces International's Aviation Expert

A new Airborne Early Warning and Control System platform for the Russian Air Force is currently being planned.

To be based on the Ilyushin Il-476 aircraft, the A-100 AWACS will incorporate hi-tech active phased array radar, which can simultaneously pick out and follow multiple ground and air-based targets.

"We are expecting to receive the A-100 AWACS on the Ilyushin Il-476 platform powered by the PS-90 engine for extended flight range", Russian Air Force Commander-in-Chief, Colonel General Alexander Zelin told journalists on 10 August. "We will have the Il-476 platform by 2013-2014 and should be able to build this plane by 2016."

Russian Air Force AWACS

Russian Air Force AWACS duties are presently performed by the A-50 Mainstay aircraft, of which there are approximately 20 in service right now. This is based on the Il-76 transporter, which first flew 40 years ago in 1971.

The A-50 Mainstay made its first flight in 1978 and flew its first operational sorties six years later. It's capable of flying four-hour missions covering a radius of about 1,000 kilometres, at heights in the order of 12,000 metres AGL. Its capabilities are centred around the Liana radar dome positioned atop the fuselage, which can serve a maximum of ten combat aircraft participating in the same sortie.

The A-50 also flies with the Indian Air Force, which operates three examples equipped with the Phalcon radar, made in Israel. The Il-476 is an upgraded Il-76 that's set to fly in 2014. Compared to the Il-76, the Il-476 will feature more powerful engines and a new fully-digital flight control system. These new additions will be carried over into the A-100 - set to start being constructed in 2016.

Future Russian Air Force

Colonel General Zelin used the same media event to disclose other details concerning the future Russian Air Force.

A massive new helicopter order is set to be placed at some point, while six more Russian Air Force bases will be constructed, all to become operational by 2020.

There'll also be additional Pantsir-S anti-aircraft artillery systems and S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile systems pressed into service, he said.