In January 1969, the latest anti-submarine aircraft Il-38 with the Berkut search and sighting system was adopted by the aviation of the USSR Navy. Due to timely repairs and various modernizations, such equipment can still be maintained in service. Right now, a large-scale program of deep modernization of aircraft is being carried out, which will further extend their service life. However, in the distant future, the modernized Il-38N will give way to new technology.
Half a century in service
The development of a promising anti-submarine defense (ASW) aircraft started in the early sixties. In the middle of the decade, the Il-38 aircraft with a full complement of equipment was tested and was recommended for adoption. In 1967, mass production was launched, and soon the equipment began to enter the troops. In the first weeks of 1969, the aircraft was officially adopted by the Navy.
The production of the IL-38 was entrusted to the Moscow Machine-Building Plant Znamya Truda (now part of the RAC MiG). At the start of development, it was planned to build up to 250 aircraft to completely cover the needs of the Navy. However, in the future, the plans were adjusted, and the number of necessary Il-38s was reduced to 65 units. At the same time, they ordered the development of a promising Tu-142 with higher flight performance.
One of the first operators of Il-38 aircraft was the 33rd Center for Combat Use and Flight Personnel Retraining in Nikolaev. The first combat unit on such machines in 1968 was the 24th separate long-range anti-submarine aviation regiment as part of the Northern Fleet. A year later, the 77th separate anti-submarine regiment of the Pacific Fleet began service. In 1972, the 145th separate anti-submarine squadron was formed as part of the Baltic Fleet.
This state of affairs persisted for a long time. Full service and timely repairs made it possible to fully use the resource of the equipment, although some of the machines had to be written off in the future. According to The Military Balance 1991-1992, by the early nineties, the Soviet / Russian Navy had 53 Il-38s and the same number of Tu-142s.
This was followed by a difficult period associated with a chronic lack of funding and constant reductions. To these factors was added the moral and physical obsolescence of the drill equipment. As a result, to date, the Il-38 fleet has significantly decreased in comparison with the original.
The Military Balance 2021 reports that there are only three Il-38 squadrons in the Navy - in the Northern and Pacific Fleets. In addition, the 859th PPI and PLC of naval aviation (Yeysk) have such aircraft. 22 aircraft remain in service, both modernized in recent years and retaining an older configuration. At the same time, it is known that a number of aircraft are in storage.
Soviet PLO aircraft in small quantities were supplied to the Indian naval forces. The Military Balance 1991-1992 indicated the presence of two patrol squadrons in their composition, which had 5 Il-38 and 8 Tu-142M.
Modernization issues
The development of modernization projects for the original Il-38 started shortly after it was put into service. A comprehensive modernization was proposed with the borrowing of components from the more advanced Tu-142M. However, such a project turned out to be overly complicated and required an unacceptable amount of improvements. As a result, the modernization of the Il-38 during that period was limited only to the replacement of individual devices.
In the eighties, a new modernization project was developed with the code "Emerald". It provided for the preservation of the main elements of the Berkut complex with the simultaneous integration of modern data processing facilities, hydroacoustic buoys and explosive sound sources. New and old components interacted through special interface blocks. According to the Emerald project, only 12 aircraft were finalized. They did not receive a separate designation and continued their service under the Il-38 designation.
By the early nineties, the need for a radical revision of search and targeting systems became obvious. Leningrad TsNPO "Leninets" was ordered to develop a completely new complex with the code "Novella". The complexity of the project and the known problems of the nineties led to a serious delay in work.
The first flight of the modified Il-38 with a mock-up of new equipment was carried out only in the spring of 2001. However, already in 2002, the modernized Il-38N with a full-fledged "Novella" went out for testing. The work was planned to be completed by the middle of the decade and then to launch the modernization of combat aircraft. They were going to bring most of the existing aircraft to the state of the Il-38N.
Serial modernization
The capabilities of the Russian Navy at that time did not correspond to all plans and desires, which is why the real prospects of the Il-38N and "Novella" were called into question. However, the project caught the attention of the Indian Navy, which was still using old Il-38s. By their order, on the basis of Novella, the Sea Dragon complex was developed with a wider range of tasks to be solved. The aircraft with such equipment was designated Il-38SD.
The "Indian" project provided for the preservation of all functions for the search, detection and destruction of submarines. At the same time, the functions of patrolling, searching, reconnaissance, etc. have been expanded or added. Now it is possible to use anti-ship missiles. The first Il-38SD was upgraded in 2005. Over the next few years, the Indian naval aviation received five upgraded aircraft.
At the end of the 2000s, the Russian Navy found funds to modernize its PLO aircraft. The first updated Il-38N was handed over to the customer in 2012. To date, the naval aviation has received eight aircraft with the Novella, and new ones are expected to be delivered in the future. Some of the upgraded aircraft were named after prominent military figures.
The future of aircraft
According to open data, now there are only 22 Il-38 aircraft in service, and 8 of them have been rebuilt according to the current project. Several years ago, the fleet command revealed plans to modernize 30 aircraft by 2025. This means that all active aircraft and some of those in reserve will receive new instruments.
The proposed and ongoing modernization program is expected to significantly increase the potential of ASW aviation and ensure its compliance with modern requirements. In addition, the service life of the equipment is being extended, and the Il-38N will still remain in service.
However, the history of the Il-38 aircraft is gradually coming to an end. Several years ago, it became known about the plans of the Ministry of Defense to create a new patrol / anti-submarine aircraft to replace the existing Il-38 and Tu-142. In 2019, the ministry requested proposals from potential developers of the new project. If this program is continued, then serial production of new equipment can be launched by 2030.
It should be noted that by this time the Il-38 will have time to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the beginning of service. The newest machines of this type will be 55 years old. Despite all the repairs and modernization carried out, the equipment will approach the full depletion of the resource.
Distant perspective
In general, the future of the Il-38 (N) aircraft and the entire patrol aircraft is quite clear. In the following years, the modernization of the existing equipment will continue, possibly even with the achievement of the set milestone of 30 vehicles. The updated Il-38N will have to serve at least until the end of this decade. It was during this period that the first production aircraft of a promising model are expected.
It will be possible to completely abandon the Il-38N only after the release of a sufficient number of new aircraft, which will take at least several years. This means that until the early or mid-thirties, the Il-38N will retain its status as one of the main patrol and anti-submarine aircraft. And due to the modernization carried out, such machines will be able to effectively solve the assigned tasks in the future.
