| Il-38 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Role | Anti-submarine patrol |
| Manufacturer | Ilyushin |
| First flight | 1967 |
| Primary users | Soviet Naval Aviation Russian Naval Aviation Indian Navy |
| Number built | 176 |
| Developed from | Ilyushin Il-18 |
The 'Ilyushin Il-38' (NATO reporting name: "May") is a maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft. The Il-38 developed from the Ilyushin Il-18 turboprop transport.
Contents |
Design and development
Ilyushin's Il-18 played a significant role in developing the USSR's air services in the 1960s and 1970s, and has also been adopted for a variety of military roles, ranging from transport to command post, Elint and maritime patrol.
The most well known military adaptation of the Il-18 is the maritime patrol/ASW Il-38 May. An aerodynamic prototype of the Il-38 first flew on 28 September 1961,[1] with the first production aircraft following in September 1967. Production, which continued until 1972, was limited to 58 aircraft, as the longer range and more versatile Tupolev Tu-142 derivative of the Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bomber had entered service.[2]
Details of the Il-38 are limited, but the airframe is stretched by 4 m (13 ft) over the Il-18 and the wings are moved forward. The tail contains a MAD, while under the forward fuselage a Berkut ("Golden Eagle") search radar (named "Wet Eye" by NATO) is housed in a bulged radome. There are two internal weapons bays, one forward of the wing, housing sonobouys and one behind the wing housing weapons.[1]
About thirty remain in service with Russian naval aviation,[3] while five were delivered to India in 1975.
The Il-38s of the Indian Navy have been sent back to Russia for upgrades. They will incorporate the new Sea Dragon avionic suite, incorporating a new radar, a Forward looking infrared (FLIR) turret under the nose and a Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) system housed in a box-like structure mounted on struts above the forward fuselage.[3] Three aircraft have been delivered to the Indian Navy. The new version is designated Il-38 SD. India is currently considering acquisition of the P-8I, a derivative of the P-8 Poseidon, designed specifically for the exact requirements of the Indian Navy to replace their Il-38s.India later ordered P-8I from Boeing for 2.1 Billion $.
There are reports of efforts towards adding the capability to fire the Indo-Russian Brahmos cruise missile from this aircraft. Mockups have been displayed with air-launched Brahmos attached to underwing pylons on the Indian Navy aircraft.
Operational history
The Il-38 was operated by units in the Soviet Northern, Pacific and Baltic fleets. In March 1968 a squadron of Il-38s deployed to Cairo in Egypt, flown by Soviet crews but in Egyptian markings, until being withdrawn in 1972. Il-38s continued to deploy overseas through the Cold War, flying from Aden in South Yemen, Asmera in what was then Ethiopia, Libya and Syria. Two Il-38s were attacked and at least one was destroyed by Eritrean People's Liberation Front fighters in 1984 at Asmera.[2] Following the end of the Cold War and the break-up of the Soviet Union, Il-38s continue in service with the Russian Navy's Arctic and Pacific Fleets.[3]
India received three ex-Soviet Naval Aviation Il-38s in 1977, with two more arriving in 1983. Indian modifications included fitting pylons to the fuselage side to carry the Sea Eagle Anti-ship missile.[4]
Operators
Specifications (Il-38)
 |
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them. |
General characteristics
- Crew: Ten
- Length: 39.60 m (129 ft 11 in)
- Wingspan: 37.42 m (122 ft 9 in)
- Height: 10.16 m (33 ft 4 in)
- Wing area: 140 m² (1,506 ft²)
- Empty weight: 33,700 kg (74,140 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 63,500 kg (139,700 lb)
- Powerplant: 4× Progress AI-20M turboprops, 3,170 kW (4,250 hp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 650 km/h (353 kn, 406 mph)
- Range: 9,500 km (5,130 nmi, 5,937 mi)
- Service ceiling: 10,000 m (32,800 ft)
- Rate of climb: 320 m/min (1,050 ft/min)
Armament
- 20,000 lb (9,000 kg) of disposable stores, including depth-charges, mines, torpedoes and bombs.
See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
References
- Lake, Jon. "Russia's Submarine Killer: Ilyushin IL-37 May". Air International, February 2005, Vol 68 No.2. Stamford, UK:Key Publishing. pp. 30-36.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
