The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) received three Ilyushin IL-76MD-90A heavy airlifters in 2020, according to the press department of the MoD. “In 2020, the Military Transport Aviation [MTA] command received three Il-76MD-90A heavy transport aircraft. Being a deeply upgraded variant of Ilyushin Il-76 [NATO reporting name: Candid] airlifter, the new air platform has some advantages provided by the new PS-90A engines, improved chassis and wing, and enhanced avionics,” said MTA Commander Lieutenant General Vladimir Benediktov.

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5 April 2019. Delivery of the first Il-76MD-90A. This heavy airlifter can transport 126 paratroopers with parachutes, 145 personnel in the single-deck version and 225 – in the double-deck (Picture source: Ilyushin)

The modernization has increased the capacities of the airlifters by 30%. According to Director Executive of JSC Ilyushin (a subsidiary of the United Aircraft Corporation) Sergey Yarkovoy, Il-76MD-90A features high reliability and a vast potential for further updates.

JSC Aviastar-SP (a subsidiary of the United Aircraft Corporation) has been building Il-76MD-90A airlifters since 2012. The enterprise has constructed 12 aircraft, including nine air systems for the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), one system for JSC Ilyushin to be used during state trials, one system for JSC TANTK Beriev (a subsidiary of the United Aircraft Corporation) to be involved in the program of Beriev A-100 AEW&C aircraft development, and one system to be reconfigured as Ilyushin Il-78M-90A aerial tanker.

According to a footage published by the United Aircraft Corporation on its official YouTube channel, VKS received three Il-76MD-90As with the following factory/registration numbers: 02-03/RF-78658, 02-04/RF-78659, and 02-05/RF-78660. The RF-78658 aircraft was named after Genrikh Novozhilov, who had designed the IL-76 airlifter.

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