A new aircraft for long-range radar surveillance, detection and guidance is being designed at the Taganrog Aviation Technical Complex named after Beriev (TANTK named after G. M. Beriev) to replace the fleet of A-50 aircraft of the Russian Air Force, similar in purpose.
According to a competent source in the military-industrial complex, "the aircraft being created will significantly surpass both the modernized A-50U and the A-50EI complex supplied to India." He did not elaborate on the data on the promising aircraft, but said that it "is being developed on the basis of a platform similar to the A-50 (IL-76MD aircraft), since the new aircraft, known as product 476, is not yet ready." At the same time, the source stressed that "the first prototype will be based on the IL-76MD, but everything else, including the radio-technical complex, is new there."
"By today, the development of the documentation has been practically completed, at the same time preparations are underway for production for the construction of a new aircraft," said the interlocutor of the Interfax news agency. Speaking about the possible date of construction of the first aircraft, the source said that the aircraft "may appear not earlier than in two years."
He also noted that the modernized A-50U aircraft "in fact, became a stage on the way to the creation of a promising aviation complex." According to some reports, the modified A-50U complex provides detection of bombers at a range of 650 kilometers, fighters at a range of 300 kilometers, and ground targets such as a column of tanks at a range of 250 kilometers.
The A-50 aircraft is designed to detect and identify air targets, determine their coordinates and movement parameters, issue information to command posts, aim fighter-interceptors and take front-line aircraft to the area of ground targets during their combat operations at low altitudes.
