Russia To Buy More Aerial Refueling Tankers

Russia’s Defense Ministry and the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) are in talks over a deal for new Ilyushin Il-78 Midas aerial refueling tankers for the Russian Air Force.

“Work is in progress to agree the terms...but until the contract is signed we are unable to make any comment,” a UAC spokesperson told RIA Novosti, adding that the contract is part of the State Arms Procurement Program for the period to 2020.

According to reports, the two are negotiating a deal for some 31 new Il-78 tankers.

The ll-78 is a four-engine aerial refueling tanker based on the Il-76 heavy transport aircraft. A modernized version of the Il-76MD-90A (also known as Il-476) will soon enter series production at the Ulyanovsk-based Aviastar-SP plant.

The new tankers would be based on the Il-76MD-90A, which has a new wing, more efficient engines, higher payload and a new cockpit with a smaller flight crew than the old Il-76, which is no longer in production, Ria Novosti reported.

In 2012, the MoD signed a contract worth $4 billion with UAC for the delivery of 39 Il-476 planes by 2020. Military Transport Aviation's commander Col. Gen. Vladimir Benediktov later said the service would in fact buy 48 of the planes by 2020.