Explore the Soviet Il-76VKP doomsday plane
Il-76VKP (also known as Il-82) is a Russian strategic airborne command aircraft, its role is similar to the US E-4B.
By order of the Soviet Ministry of Defense in the 1980s, two Il-76MD heavy transport aircraft were modified to serve as airborne nuclear force command posts in case ground facilities were disrupted or communications were lost.
With the above functions, the Il-76VKP has a similar role to the US Air Force's E-4B "Doomsday Plane". The IL-76VKP has some similar missions to the A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft, but it is used for a narrower purpose.
Work began on the Il-76MD with chassis number CCCP-76.450 on 22 September 1987, while the second Il-76MD with chassis number CCCP-76.451 followed on 30 November of the same year. They remained in storage until 1999 but their current status is unclear.
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| The Soviet/Russian Air Force's Il-76VKP doomsday plane |
The most noticeable feature of the Il-76VKP is the appearance of a large "hump" right on the roof of the command cabin, this is the space to contain satellite communication equipment with a highly secure optical television information line.
The aircraft will perform the role of connecting with nuclear missile launch facilities on the ground, with the command headquarters of strategic air force units, and it also has an extremely low frequency communication channel to connect with nuclear submarines operating offshore.
The two special aircraft were born when the Soviet Union began to enter a period of decline, so it is unclear how complete they are as well as the reliability of the special equipment "implanted".
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| Il-76VKP airborne nuclear command center of the Soviet Air Force |
According to some reports, both Il-76VKP aircraft are assigned to a special operations squadron based at Chkalovsky airport, all information related to them is highly classified. This is a rare aircraft model that has not yet been clearly classified.
Basic technical specifications of the Il-76VKP "Airborne Nuclear Command Center" include a length of 46.59 m; wingspan of 50.5 m; height of 14.76 m; wing area of 300 m2; empty weight and maximum take-off weight of the aircraft have not been announced.
The aircraft is equipped with 4 Soloviev D-30KP turbojet engines with a thrust of 12,000 kgf, for a maximum speed of 780 km/h, a range of 6,800 km with a ceiling of 12,000 m, and a crew of 5 people (not including technical staff ensuring communication in the air).