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Russian Navy to Develop a New Generation Maritime Patrol - ASW Aircraft

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Naval Aviation News - Russia
 
 
 
Russian Navy to Develop a New Generation Maritime Patrol - ASW Aircraft
 
New-generation antisubmarine warfare (ASW) patrol planes are being developed for Russia’s Naval Aviation, Naval Aviation Chief Major-General Igor Kozhin said during MAKS 2017 airshow.
     
IL 38N MPA Russian NavyA Il-38N MPA of the Russian Navy. Picture by Paul Shumilo
     
"The Navy’s main command and the Naval Aviation’s command are carrying out work to develop promising multirole shipborne and land-based helicopters. Advanced patrol planes planned to replace operational antisubmarine warfare aircraft will be developed soon," Kozhin said.

According to him, 60% of all operational Ilyushin Il-38 (NATO reporting name: May) antisubmarine warfare planes have been heavily upgraded. More than 50% of shipborne antisubmarine warfare helicopters have been modernized, he added.

"Large-scale work has been done to restore readiness of Kamov Ka-29 [Helix-B] combat/transport helicopters and upgrade them. As many as 20 helicopters of the type have been put into operation. Work to upgrade the whole fleet is in progress," Kozhin said.

It was reported earlier that the advanced Minoga shipborne helicopter was being developed for the Russian Navy. According to Kamov Company General Designer Sergei Mikheyev, the serial production of the promising helicopter may start in about ten years.

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Comments by Navy Recognition
The upgraded Il-38N plane is equipped with the Novella target search and track system that can detect aerial targets at a distance of up to 90 kilometers (56 miles) and surface targets at a range of up to 320 kilometers (199 miles). The system can track 32 above- and underwater targets simultaneously. It is fitted with new-generation sonobuoys and a thermal imager. The Il-38N plane can also conduct Signals intelligence (SIGINT) and ISR.

By December 2016, a first batch of seven Il-38N have been delivered to the Russian Navy. A total of 65 baseline Il-38 were produced between 1967 and 1972. According to open sources, there were 46 Il-38 aircraft still in service in Russia as of 2016.

The Indian Navy operates another modernized Il-38 variant called Il-38SD "Sea Dragon". The Sea Dragon is a multi-mission package that includes five subsystems. Anti-submarine warfare (radio hydroacoustics and MAD), search-and-rescue (EO system), sea and land surface surveillance (electronically scanned radar) as well as electronic support measures. The first two of five aircraft on order have been modernized so far.