The two Ilyushin Il-96-400M enger four-engine prototypes will be converted for military use, becoming the new airborne command posts of the 8th Special Purpose Aviation Division of the Russian Aerospace Force. Simply put, they will be the two new “Airplanes of the End of the World” or “Airplanes of the Apocalypse”, operating as control centers for the Armed Forces in case of nuclear war.
In April, the state-owned United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) announced the cancellation of mass production of the new jet. At the time it was said that the two prototypes, which are still being assembled at the Voronezh Aircraft Production Association, would be used as VIP aircraft, transporting the Russian President and his entourage.
However, jets will play another role. A source told the RIA Novosti that the planes will be converted under the Zveno-3S project, saying that work has already started on one of the aircraft. The two Il-96-400M will replace the four Il-80 Maxdomes that currently fulfill this role.
Based on the Il-86 enger jet, the Il-80 entered service in the early 1990s. In the event of a Nuclear War, the aircraft would be used to transport the President and General Staff of the Armed Forces. The planes are equipped with a series of communication and electronic warfare equipment, in addition to having jobs, all of this to command the armies and send the necessary retaliation in what would be an event that would possibly end with humanity.
In January, Russia arrest a suspect for stealing nearly 40 radio modules and five electronic boards from an Il-80 Maxdome undergoing maintenance. The crime took place in December 2020.
Photo: Dmitry Terekhov – Wikimedia.
The Il-96-400M would be an interim measure to replace the Il-96 of the 1990s, before the arrival of the Sino-Russian CR929. The previous version, Il-96-300, is already used by the Rossiya Detachment in transporting the Russian president and other leaders and officials of the country. The unit received its last Il-96 in April 2021, points out the portal Aerotime Hub.
