Il-76 Transport Aircraft - As the sun rises on day three of the Ukrainian war with Russia, reports have surfaced that two Russian Ilyushin Il-76 heavy transports were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses. Russia has not acknowledged the loss of any of its Il-76 aircraft.
Basic cargo versions of the IL-76 were fitted with defensive weapons and electronic aids such as radar warning, chaff and flare dispensers and jamming equipment. A powered manned turret with optional radar guidance was fitted to the base of the tail for defensive purposes, and this turret was equipped with two 23mm GSh-23L autocannons.
Il-76 Transport Aircraft
In the meantime, the U.S. government and other members of the international community continue to escalate sanctions against Russia over the conflict. Most significantly today, American authorities announced plans to sanction Putin, as well as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, directly, which will include a ban on their ability to travel to the United States.
Reports Suggest Heavy Resistance To Russian Entry Into Ukrainian Capital
Ukraine's military states that it has also shot down a Russian helicopter and Su-25 by an S-300 air defense system. It also says the Il-76 was shot down by a Su-27. The fact that any of these capabilities are still operational is remarkable:
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With improved engines, a longer fuselage, a modern glass cockpit and upgraded avionics, large-scale manufacture of this capable aircraft was constrained by Russian economic difficulties, and only small numbers have entered service to date, but production of this version is ongoing.
With a fuselage stretched by nearly seven meters and new high-bypass turbofan engines fitted, the payload of this variant was 60 tons, but the few aircraft of this series were only delivered to the Jordanian Air Force.
The Candid
Following reports of this first Il-76 shoot-down incident, a "second Il-76" was reported to have been shot down over Bila Tserkya. The report originated from the Ukrainian State Special Communications Agency. Early reports did not suggest what mission this aircraft may have been performing and no specific reports of casualties or survivors have been provided as of this hour.
Additional reports suggest that the battle for the capital city of Kyiv has begun, set against the backdrop of a Russian media report from TASS that, "Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has accepted Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal and is ready to negotiate peace and a ceasefire."
" No other western media outlet has reported this announcement that was attributed to Vladimir Zelensky's press secretary Sergey Nikiforov. After the video of the MiG-29 Fulcrum shooting HARMs, photos now also show the Flankers flying with the American anti-radiation missiles.
Last week we got the visual confirmation of the Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 Fulcrum […] The cargo versions have steadily increasing cargo capacity following the introduction of the basic Candid D: the IL-76M could carry 42,000 kg (92,500 lbs) of cargo, this was increased to 48,000 kg (105,800 lbs) in the MD variant.
The final cargo version IL-76 MD-90A has a total capacity of 60,000kg (132,300 lbs). The Chinese PLAAF flew an IL-76 to Afghanistan in 2004, and in 2011 used several IL-76s to evacuate Chinese citizens from Libya.
These were the first instances of the PLAAF performing long-distance airlift missions, and in 2016 a highly similar aircraft to the IL-76 known as the Xi'an Y-20 transport aircraft began operating with Chinese military units. Separately, the U.S.
military and other members of NATO have pledged to continue supplying weapons and other military aid to Ukraine's armed forces, including possible additional unspecified air defense capabilities. The alliance has also activated its Response Force for the first time ever in order to further reinforce areas of its eastern periphery with Russia against any potential aggression outside of Ukraine.
Built in large numbers for both military and civilian use, the IL-76 has been constantly upgraded over the years and has also recently spawned a near-copy by the PRC known as the Xi'an Y-20. Many nations and civil cargo companies around the world operate the IL-76, including the United Nations which has several aircraft on loan from Russia.
There can only be questions already about how the Russian side understands the idea of a negotiated settlement to the current conflict. Putin has said he wants the government in Kyiv ousted, Ukraine "demilitarized," a formal pledge that it will not join NATO, and an agreement to cede control of the Crimean Peninsula and the country's eastern Donbas region before he will call an end to his
"special military operation." Many, if not all of these points are non-starters for Ukraine, although officials have suggested that they are open to discussion about the country's NATO ambitions. Considering we know there is heavy fighting all over the country, and what was claimed to be an amphibious operation in Odessa, the fact that we are seeing almost no information coming out of these areas is telling.
It looks like access to the internet is being manipulated. On Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, Ukrainian air defenses claimed to have shot down one Russian Il-76 transport near Vasylkiv, south of the capital in Kyiv. Ukrainian reports claimed the aircraft was carrying a "landing force" but did not specify any number of casualties or survivors from the reported incident.
With further improvements in avionics and engines, it is not unreasonable to assume that the platform will be in operation in many countries for the foreseeable future. It is only the current financial sanctions on Russia that have slowed the manufacture and introduction of the latest versions of this venerable airlifter, but existing variants are performing sterling services around the world, in both military and civil use.
Cargo versions have an un-refueled range of 2,700 miles (4,400 km) with a load of 50 tonnes. An empty IL-76 has a ferry range of 5,800 miles (9,300 km) when fitted with extra fuel tanks in the cargo area.
The service ceiling of the IL-76 is 43,000 feet (13,000 meters). The IL-78 tanker (NATO reporting name Midas) first flew in 1982, with the first models of this series being converted from IL-76 cargo aircraft. In 1984 the improved IL-78M version was introduced, which was a dedicated tanker version.
All told, Russia's war in Ukraine looks far from over and the outcome of any future negotiations, if they even take place, remains to be seen. For his part, Nykyforov certainly appears to be holding out hope that this could provide a path to peaceful resolution of the conflict.
The Ilyushin IL-76 is a prime strategic airlifter, and while not as capable as later Western cargo aircraft like the Boeing C-17 Globemaster or the Airbus A400M Atlas still has some distinct advantages over these platforms: a robust and simple airframe and also the
ability to be maintained by minimally-trained conscripts while on operations in austere conditions. The initial variant accepted for service in the Soviet Union was also the most manufactured version to date, the IL-76 D (NATO reporting name 'Candid D') of which 860 units were produced.
With a cargo capacity of 50 tonnes, the Candid D was the Soviet Union's first four-engine heavy jet transport and was intended to replace the AN-12 turboprop transport, although this aircraft remains in service to this day.
Beyond that, ceasefires unfortunately often go into effect right after a burst of fighting as the parties involved seek to take as much physical territory before they have to halt the fighting. So, there is certainly a possibility that any immediate agreement will leave not-insignificant amounts of Ukrainian territory under Russian control.
Several IL-76s have been lost by both Russia and Ukraine during the current conflict between those two nations. A Ukrainian Air Force IL-76 was shot down by separatist rebels on approach to the Luhansk region of the country in 2014.
This all notably comes as Russian forces have steadily pushed into Ukraine, but at a pace that is slower than it appears they expected. There are growing reports about increasing Russian casualties, which may number in the hundreds or even thousands already, as well as supply chain issues and flagging morale.
At the United Nations, Russia has now vetoed a draft Security Council resolution that would have condemned its invasion of Ukraine. However, in doing so, the Kremlin did highlight the limited, at best, support it has internationally for its actions.
Only Russia voted against the resolution. China, India, and the United Arab Emirates abstained and the remaining members all voted in favor. Two Russian IL-76s were engaged on the second day of the current conflict, shot down near Kyiv on the 25th of February 2022. The wreckage of these aircraft was not discovered until September of that year.
In April 2022 two Ukrainian Air Force IL-76s were destroyed on the ground by Russian forces at Melitopol Airport in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast within Ukraine. "The enemy is clearly surprised by the results of the Ukrainian armed forces and volunteers to protect the integrity of our country," Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova said at a press conference earlier today.
"We see that they didn't advance the way they planned." Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously called for negotiations over his extensive demands for what he wants Ukraine to do in order to end the conflict.
At the same time, he suggested today that the Ukrainian military should overthrow the country's government and then discuss surrender terms with him. The Y-20 is an improved version of the IL-76, with a cargo capacity of 66 tons, and when new Chinese turbofan engines become available it is expected to have an increased range compared to the Russian version.
"Ukraine was and remains ready to talk about ceasefire and peace. This is our constant position. We responded in agreement to the proposal of the President of the Russian Federation," according to a machine translation of Nykyforov's Facebook post.
"Directly at these hours, the parties are consulting about the place and time of the negotiation process. The sooner the negotiations begin, the more chance there will be to restore normal life." Ukrainian Air Force combat planes stored in the peninsula were redeployed to airbases in mainland Ukraine when Crimea was invaded.
Including a Mig-29 that is now back to flight status. When Russian forces invaded Crimea […] One of the best of these is the Ilyushin IL-76, which has performed valiantly for the Soviet/Russian air force since the 1970s as a transport aircraft, but the basic airframe is also used as a template for an aerial tanker and an AEW&C radar
platform as well. The IL-78 Midas and the A-50M AEW&C aircraft continue to support Russian military aviation to this day, and India and the PRC have also ordered these variants to sustain operations by their air arms.
A new version of the A-50 aircraft is in the late stage of development, and this Beriev A-100 is based on the IL-76 MD-90A airframe, with a new solid-state radar replacing the analogue version in the A-
50M.
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