Specialists of the Vega Concern of Ruselectronics Holding and Beriev Aircraft Company (TANTK) of PJSC “UAC” (both are part of the Rostec State Corporation) conducted the first flight of the A-100 long-range airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) with the onboard radio equipment turned on. The tests confirmed that the special equipment as well as the aircraft’s onboard systems function normally in a high-intensity radiated environment. The flight tested the aerodynamic performance of the aircraft, its avionics and the specific parts of the radio equipment that were meant to be checked. The aircraft systems performed according to the specified parameters and are ready for further tests.
“An important stage of testing the A-100, an aviation complex that includes our most advanced developments, has begun. Scientists and designers have confirmed that Russia has technologies to create AEW&C aircraft that are on par with global peers,” said Vladimir Verba, Chief Designer of the Vega Concern, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
“The flight was in a routine mode. All systems and equipment worked correctly. The crew fully completed the flight task, having checked the stability and controllability of the aircraft in required flight regimes. The IL-76MD-90A platform confirmed the specified performance indicators,” said the crew commander Sergey Parkhaev, Honored Test Pilot 1st Class, test pilot of the Beriev Aircraft Company (TANTK)
The new generation aviation complex is based on the IL-76MD-90A aircraft, carrying a radome with a unique antenna system and the latest special radio equipment developed by the Vega Concern (part of Ruselectronics). A-100 can detect and track air and other types of targets, and help control fighter and assault aircraft guiding it to attack air, ground and naval targets. The radio equipment for the A-100 aircraft includes technical solutions developed with the latest achievements of the Russian radioelectronics and high-performance computing tools, as well as top electronic components. This applies to the equipment used to obtain information, the computer cluster processing the information, and the automated workstations of the system’s crew.
The Beriev A-100 is a Russian-built AEW&C aircraft is developed to replace the Beriev A-50 in Russian Air Force service.The A-100 is designated as the izdeliye PM, a project meant to develop a replacement for the A-50 AEW&C aircraft. The aircraft is based on the improved Il-76MD-90A, which is equipped with new PS-90A-76 turbofan engines that are 15% more powerful than the D-30KP used by the Il-76. In April 2020, it was said by a source in the Russian military industry that Russia’s Aerospace Forces will begin taking delivery of the new Beriev A-100 in 2024, to complement and eventually replace the existing Beriev A-50 and A-50U AEW planes in the Aerospace Forces’ inventory today. In February 2022 The Drive reported that sanctions placed on Russia had delayed the project.
