The Beriev A-50 (NATO reporting name: Mainstay) is a Soviet-origin airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft that is based on the Ilyushin Il-76 transport plane. Developed to replace the Tupolev Tu-126 "Moss", the A-50 first flew in 1978. Its existence was revealed to the Western Bloc in 1978 by Adolf Tolkachev. It entered service in 1985, with about 40 produced by 1992.

Design and development

A-50

The mission personnel of the 15-man crew derive data from the large Liana surveillance radar with its antenna in an over-fuselage rotodome, which has a diameter of 9 m Detection range is 650 km for air targets and 300 km for ground targets. The A-50 can control up to ten fighter aircraft for either air-to-air intercept or air-to-ground attack missions. The A-50 can fly for four hours with a range of 1000 km from its base, at a maximum takeoff weight of 190 MT. The aircraft can be refuelled by Il-78 tankers. The radar "Vega-M" is designed by MNIIP, Moscow, and produced by NPO Vega. The "Vega-M" can track up to 150 targets simultaneously within 230 km. Large targets, like surface ships, can be tracked at a distance of 400 km.

A-50U

Development work on a modernized version, the A-50U, began in 2003; state tests started on 10 September 2008, using a Russian Air Force A-50 "37 Red" as a prototype. It replaces analog avionics with a new digital avionics suite, made by NPO Vega, that speeds data processing and improves signal tracking and target detection. Crew rest, toilet and galley facilities are also included in the upgrade. After completing the joint state tests, Beriev delivered the first A-50U to the Russian Air Force. The aircraft, "47 Red", RF-92957, was handed over at Beriev's facility in Taganrog on 31 October 2011. It was accepted by an aircrew serving with the 2457th Aviation Base for Combat Operation of Airborne Early Warning Aircraft (Aviabaza Boevogo Primeneniya Samolyotov Dal'nego Radiolokatsionnogo Obnaruzheniya) at Ivanovo Severny, which is the only base using the A-50 operationally (it operates 16 aircraft). The fourth A-50U, "41 Taganrog", was delivered to the Russian Aerospace Forces on 7 March 2017. The fifth A-50U, "45 Red", was delivered on 6 December 2018. Eight A-50U aircraft have been delivered. The A-50U upgrade forms the basis of the concept for Beriev A-100 AEW&C. Its configuration will be similar, but with a new Vega Premier active electronically scanned array radar. It has been announced by Rostec that production of the A-50U will restart in 2024. However, it is likely that production resumption will be delayed for a few years.

Operational history

In peacetime

The aircraft entered service with the 67th Independent Aviation Squadron, Long-Range Airborne Surveillance (67 OAE DRLO) (в/ч 32457) in 1984 at Šiauliai in Lithuanian SSR. The unit was redesignated the 144th Independent Regiment DRLO, (в/ч 89449) and then later moved to Pechora Kamenka (often referred to as "Berezovka") in 1998. There was a detachment (two A-50s and one Il-76) as part of the 192nd Guards Kerch Red Banner Military Transport Aviation Regiment (в/ч 26212), Ukurey Airfield Chita Oblast in Russia from 1985 to 1995. It was formed at the Ulan-Ude (Vostochny) airfield in 1985, and flew to Ukurei in 1988. It was disbanded in 1995 and aircraft transferred to the 144th Independent Regiment. The 18th Independent Aviation Detachment DRLO (two A-50s and 1 Il-76) was established at the Vitebsk-Severny airfield from 1985. In 1993, the detachment was disestablished. Two aircraft "operated round-the-clock over [the] Black Sea during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm of the Gulf War (1990–1991), monitoring United States Air Force operations from Turkey and keeping a watch for "stray" cruise missiles."

Syrian Civil War

In late December 2015, the A-50 started operations over Syria, flying from Russia, to support Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War.

Russo-Ukrainian War

In December 2018, it was deployed to Crimea. On 26 February 2023, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Association of Security Forces of Belarus (BYPOL), a partisan group, reported that it had conducted a drone attack and damaged a Russian A-50 at the Machulishchy air base near Minsk, Belarus. The attacked base also hosts MiG-31 fighters used to attack Ukraine. However, satellite imagery of the Machulishchy air base from 28 February showed no significant damage to the sole A-50 located there. The drone operators posted a video of a practice run of the alleged A-50U bombing on YouTube on 2 March 2023, which shows the drone flying into Machulishchy unopposed, then landing on the A-50's rotodome. On 3 March 2023, the drone operators posted a second video showing a drone landing on the domed area on top of the fuselage just forward of the wings followed by a loss of video signal claimed to be due to the actual explosion. On 17 November 2023, the British Defence Ministry believes that it is "likely" Russian forces are updating their A-50 early warning aircraft in anticipation of the West supplying modern fighter jets such as the F-16. The aircraft may also be integrated with the ground based S-400 missile systems. Ukrainian forces claimed to have shot down an A-50 over the Sea of Azov on 14 January 2024 while it was on duty in the Kyrylivka area. The A-50 reportedly disappeared from radar and stopped responding to requests from tactical aviation. Later several Western and Ukrainian sources reported that the pilot of a Su-30 aircraft of the Russian Air Force detected the fire and crash of an unidentified aircraft in the area, presumably the A-50. Forbes journalist David Axe cited one analyst who claimed that Ukrainian Air Force first disabled Russian radars across Crimea, causing the Russians to reestablish radar coverage there by moving their A-50 north to near Berdyansk thus within range of a Ukrainian SAM battery. This claimed downing of an A-50 was further claimed to leave the Russian air force with just two serviceable A-50s. , the Kremlin had neither confirmed nor denied the downing of an A-50. Open source analysts later identified that the aircraft lost was A-50U "37 red" of the 610th Center for Combat Use and Retraining of Military Transport Aviation Flight Personnel (610th CBP i PLS), based at Ivanovo Severny. On 23 February 2024, Ukrainian official sources claimed the downing of a second A-50U aircraft, over Krasnodar Krai, at 18:44 Ukraine local time. Ukrainian armed forces claim to have used a long-range S-200 system to shoot down the A-50 in the evening of 23 February over the Sea of Azov. According to Ukrainian sources, 10 Russians were killed on the plane, including five majors. The aircraft was later identified as A-50U "42 red" of the 610th CBP i PLS. Kyrylo Budanov claimed, as of February 2024, Russia had six operational A-50s. Also, the Taganrog Beriev Aviation Scientific and Technical Complex where the A-50 are repaired suffered damage overnight from March 8-March 9, 2024, possibly from a Ukrainian drone strike.

Variants

Operators

Former operators

Specifications (A-50E)

Ukrainian government references