| A-50 Shmel | |
|---|---|
| Role | Airborne Early Warning and Control |
| Manufacturer | Beriev |
| First flight | 1978 |
| Introduction | 1984 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary users | Russian Air Force Indian Air Force |
| Number built | around 40 |
| Developed from | Ilyushin Il-76 |
The Beriev A-50 (NATO reporting name: Mainstay) is a Russian airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft based on the Ilyushin Il-76 transport. Developed to replace the Tupolev Tu-126 'Moss', the A-50 first flew in 1978. It entered service in 1984, with about 40 produced by 1992.
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The mission personnel of the 15-man crew derive data from the large Liana surveillance radar with its antenna in an over-fuselage rotordome, which has a diameter of 29 ft 9 in (9.00 m).
The A-50 can control up to 10 fighter aircraft for either air-to-air intercept or air-to-ground attack missions. The A-50 is capable of flying for 4 hours at 1000 km from its base at a maximum takeoff weight of 190 tons. The aircraft can be refuelled by Il-78 tankers,[1][2] although some sources indicates flight tests showed that aerial refueling was all but impossible because the rotodome would hit turbulence from the tanker, causing severe buffeting.[3]
The radar "Vega-M" is designed by MNIIP, Moscow, and produced by NPO Vega. The "Vega-M" is capable of tracking up to 50 targets simultaneously within 230 kilometers. Large targets, like surface ships, can be tracked at a distance of 400 km.
The first A-50U was delivered to the Russian Air Force on October 31, 2011. The aircraft incorporates an improved radar and a digital avionics suite.[4]
General characteristics
Performance
Related development: Ilyushin Il-76, KJ-2000
Comparable aircraft: E-3 Sentry
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