as reported by spotters, at the airport in zhukovsky in the fall, another il-76md-m military transport aircraft of the russian aerospace forces with the registration number rf-76545 (factory number 0033443266, built in 1983), which became the fourth il-76md that was upgraded to the level of the il-76md-m appearance of "full configuration", is undergoing flight tests. The work was carried out on the technical base of JSC "Aviation complex named after S. V. Ilyushin" in Zhukovsky.
Upgraded military transport aircraft IL-76MD-M of the Russian Aerospace Forces (registration number RF-76545, factory number 0033443266, built in 1983) Zhukovsky, December 2020 (c) www.flightradar24.com
recall that the modernization program for the il-76md-m project was launched as part of a state contract signed in august 2013 by the russian ministry of defense with pjsc ilyushin aviation complex for the modernization of the il-76md heavy military transport aircraft and the il-78m tanker aircraft, with the presentation of one prototype.
Under this contract, the first prototype of the upgraded Il-76MD-M military transport aircraft (registration number RF-76746, factory number 0073479374, serial number 60-04, built in 1987) was upgraded at the technical base of PJSC Ilyushin Aviation Complex in Zhukovsky in 2014-2016. This aircraft made its first flight after modernization in Zhukovsky on February 28, 2016, and since June 2017, its State joint tests were conducted.
The upgraded Il-76MD - M aircraft retains the old D-30KP engines, which are being refined to extend their service life. Modernization works should bring the aircraft's onboard equipment to the level of the equipment of the newly built IL-76MD-90A. The total service life of the aircraft is extended by 15 years. according to the requirements of the ministry of defense, the cost of upgrading the il-76md to the il-76md-m variant should be only a third of the cost of the new-built il-76md-90a aircraft.
In October 2016, PJSC Ilyushin Aviation Complex signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense for the modernization of the first three Il-76MD aircraft to the Il-76MD-M level with delivery by the end of 2018. The first under this contract was handed over to the Russian Aerospace Forces on March 13, 2018, an IL-76MD-M (RF-76746) prototype aircraft, modified to the appearance of a "complete set" (although it continues to be used in Zhukovsky for testing. By the end of 2018, the modernization of two more aircraft under this contract was completed with the registration numbers RF-78788 (factory number 0083490703, built in 1988) and RF-78837 (factory number 1003401024, built in 1990, since 2000 it has been called "Marshal of Aviation Skripko"). Both of these aircraft are part of the 610th Center for Combat Use and retraining of flight personnel of the Military Transport Aviation named after Air Marshal N. S. Skripko in Ivanovo.
The appearance now in Zhukovsky of another modernized Il-76MD-M with the registration number RF-76545 (factory number 0033443266), apparently, indicates the beginning of serial modernization of the Il-76MD aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
earlier it was reported that the ministry of defense of russia plans to upgrade 41 combat military transport aircraft il-76md to the level of il-76md-m. Serial modernization work was supposed to be carried out at aircraft repair plants or at technical aviation bases of Military transport aviation, but, apparently, for the time being, modernization continues to be carried out by PJSC Ilyushin Aviation Complex.
1 December 2020 at the airfield Ivanovo North held a ceremony on the occasion of the formation in the composition of Military transport aviation of Russian air force 81st military transport aviation regiment (part of the 12th military transport aviation division with the office in Tver, the airfield Migalovo), and which is the head of the marching regiment to equip the modernized military transport aircraft Il-76MD-M.
upgraded military transport aircraft il-76md-m of the russian aerospace forces (registration number rf-76545, factory number 0033443266, built in 1983) zhukovsky, 2020 (c) alexander shipilenko / russianplanes.net ( link )
