The construction of the first "Doomsday aircraft" of a new type has begun in Voronezh. The car is created on the basis of the Il-96-400M. In the foreseeable future, such aircraft will replace the Il-80 air command posts.
Russia has long wanted to get a replacement for the Il-80 "Doomsday planes". Now it has become one step closer to what was planned: according to a source in the military-industrial complex, construction of the first car of a new type has begun. "The Russian Aerospace Forces will receive two air command posts based on the Il-96-400M. One is in production, " [...] a source told RIA Novosti.
The interlocutor of the agency noted that in the future an order for a third air control point is possible. The project itself was called "Link-3C".
IL-96
Image source: TASS
The Il-80 aircraft available to the VKS were built on the basis of the passenger Il-86. In total, four such air command posts were created. Their main purpose is to evacuate the country's leadership and command and control of troops in the event that the enemy destroyed the ground and satellite infrastructure.
Thanks to the radio complex, the new aircraft will allow bringing orders, including to the crews of strategic bombers, to mobile and mine launchers and nuclear submarines-carriers of ballistic missiles.
The Americans also have "Doomsday Planes". Last year [...], a video was presented showing what the American Boeing E-4B Nightwatch looks like. You can get acquainted in detail with the device of Russian and American cars of this type in our material.
Boeing E-4B Nightwatch
Image source: aviation24
The main Russian aviation novelty of recent years has become a promising single-engine fighter Checkmate, shown a few days ago at MAKS. The inconspicuous aircraft is considered as a "budget" alternative to the heavier Su-57 of the fifth generation. In Russia, they hope that the car will interest foreign customers (the Su-57 fighter, as far as can be judged, cannot boast of popularity with foreign customers).
It is known that the new fighter is an initiative development. There is no order from the Russian Defense Ministry yet. The aircraft is designed according to a modular scheme with an open architecture: the "filling" can be different depending on the customer's wishes.
The fighter will receive a combat radius of 1,500 kilometers and will be able to make a shortened takeoff and landing, the combat load should exceed seven tons. The car is being created in a short time: according to plans, mass production will begin in 2026-2027.
