This Why Russia Turns Ilyushin Il-96 Into a Nuclear Command Plane

Video from the channel CIVIL AVIA about Ilyushin Il-96, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 13:54. Language: English. Video type: News.

The video reviews reports that Russia could adapt the Il-96-400M as a new airborne command post for its nuclear forces, replacing the Il-80 "Maxdome". In 2021, a defense industry source told RIA Novosti that the Aerospace Forces would receive two aircraft of this type, one already under construction, as part of the Zveno-3S project. There is no public confirmation that they have entered service.

The Il-80 is derived from the Il-86; four were built and the fleet is aging: in December 2020, radio equipment was stolen from one of them while it was undergoing maintenance in Taganrog. The Il-96-400M, a version stretched by about 9.6 m and fitted with four PS-90A1 engines, was originally developed as a long-range airliner and failed to attract interest from airlines. Its prototype flew on November 1, 2023 from Voronezh, on a 26-minute flight.

For a command post, the four engines, interior space and available electrical power are advantages, and a range of about 9,000 km, compared with about 4,000 km for the Il-80, allows more time aloft. In addition, the aircraft already exists and uses Russian engines. The United States faces a similar problem: it is replacing its four E-4Bs with the SAOC program, awarded to Sierra Nevada Corporation in April 2024 and based on used Korean Air 747-8s. Russia's bottleneck is the VASO plant, which according to expert Roman Gusarov produces one aircraft every two years.