Click to see full-size image. Via Telegram.
The Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) had received a new Beriev A-50U early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, Russian media reported on March 2.
The delivery came just a day after the head of the State Corporation Rostec, Sergey Chemezov, announced that Russia will resume the production of A-50 aircraft. According to him, the decision was due to the need for these aircraft by the VKS, as well as the interest of foreign countries.
Chemezov noted that production would definitely be resumed, as the companies have the appropriate capacity to produce both the radar station and the aircraft themselves.
The A-50U is a deeply upgraded version of the A-50, which was developed in the Soviet Union on the basis of the Ilyushin Il-76 military transport plane.
The original A-50 was reportedly capable of controlling up to ten fighter aircraft for either air-to-air intercept or air-to-ground attack missions.
The AEW&C aircraft can fly for four hours with a range of 1,000 kilometers from its base, at a maximum takeoff weight of 190 metric tons . To further extend its range, the aircraft can be refueled by midair Il-78 tankers.
The main system of the A-50 is the Vega-M radar which was designed by MNIIP and produced by NPO Vega. The radar can track up to 150 targets simultaneously within 230 kilometers. Large targets, like surface ships, can be tracked at a distance of 400 kilometers.
The exact capabilities of the A-50U are classified, but the upgrade reportedly modernized the aircraft’s electronics and increased crew comfort.
The VKS first used its A-50U in real combat during operations against terrorist groups in Syria. After the start of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, two such aircrafts were lost, one on January 14 over the Sea of Azov and another on February 23 over the Krasnodar Krai region. Friendly fire was blamed for both incidents.
A third A-50U was attacked by saboteurs working for the Ukrainian intelligence with a small drone at the Machulishchy air base near the Belarusian capital, Minsk on February 26 of last year. Nevertheless, the attack failed.
The quick introduction of a new A-50U into service with the VKS and the plans to resume the production of the aircraft highlight how Russia’s large industrial complex continues to boost the country’s military capabilities despite facing unprecedented Western sanctions.
“two such aircrafts were lost, one on january 14 over the sea of azov and another on february 23 over the krasnodar krai region. friendly fire was blamed for both incidents.”
it wasn’ a friendly fire, and it wasn’t ukrainians. it was a western fighter jet, probably f-35. russians don’t admit it, because it would mean direct war with the us. friendly fire indeed.
that a big stretch to say their f35’s more likely that they were patriot missles
where the patriots were launched? the range is 105 km (mim104-a) and 160 km (mim104-d/e) especially the plane, that was over the krasnodar krai region, was too far.
which makes you wonder why these systems weren’t targeted from the start
now the west is planning to deploy f16 fighters, so probably they want to take out russian radar planes for this reason.
the s-400 has demonstrated that i can track, lock and target f-35 as shown in syria where they fired warning shots at israeli fighters. f-35 theory is highly unlikely.
russians are not afraid of gangsters paradise article 5 and rules based paedophile order!!! if the f-35, reporting name the paedophile, shot down the a-50s, then the f-35 was shot down too and the cowardly americans refuse to admit it!!! heroic russians have guaranteed that if any air power from nato countries is used against russian forces, then russia would attack the bases they took off from!!!! unlike america, russia is not afraid and cowardly of a near peer!!! the f-35 paedophile indeed!!!
f35 garbage, despite a present of tens of billions to cabal of militar industrial thieves stolen to american & western citizens has yet many deficiences to fix, and the outcome will never give a champion, perhaps a donkey and not a game changer for sure…. overall russia will have no problem to shot down many of that airplanes.
that theory is highly unlikely. the losses resemble that one of a il-76 in syria, where the israelis provoqued friendly fire by a fighter plane behind the il-76. in the cases of azov sea, the ua or british/us forces in ukraine appear to have fired missiles like s-300, atacms or so, and steered close to the a-50. also just speculation but less fantastic.
“the aew&c aircraft can fly for four hours with a range of 1,000 kilometers from its base, at a maximum takeoff weight of 190 metric tons .”
it can fly over 12 hours with a range over 10.000 kilometeres …..
no it can’t without midair refueling.
but it can be refueled in the air if needed.
am not technically-minded, still: 2x friendly fire one aircraft type short time frame seems unlikely to me.
welcome to slavic russian bullshitting, it’s even more comical than anglo bullshitting.
to be shutdown again
a-50u will git r dun…
clearly, the a50u that was shot down was indeed friendly fire. the ukronazes drove a fleet of drones over the flight path of the a50u. the russian air defence detected these and shot down some of them as was captured by the civilian camera. they also shot down the a50u in the process. the ukronazes used pretty good tactics in this case.
seems logical.
lets see if the russians will deliver any a-100 in 2024.
the radar and sensors are good on russian aew&c but the aircraft/airframe them selves shows their age like four engines that is a lot of maintenance and the range and airtime doesn’t impress anymore.
the thing with aew&c is that it should have a long range and be able to be in the air for about 12h not 4h like the a-50.
in dumbmarkn we produce bad cheese that flies from windmill
where is s-70 okhotnik? why does everything take time in russia? this should be a golden opportunity to see if west and patriot systems can detect it.
this would have been a chance to introduce a upgraded version with phased array radar instead of the big disc.
maybe a big disc crashes in ur dumpster where u live, danish weirdo…