Overview
The A-50, known to NATO as "Mainstay", is a Soviet-designed airborne early warning and control aircraft built on the Il-76 transport, with a large rotating radar dome above the fuselage. It tracks aircraft and missiles and directs fighters, much like the American E-3 Sentry.
Russia has only a small fleet, and in early 2024 two A-50s were shot down during the war in Ukraine. India flies three A-50EI aircraft fitted with an Israeli radar.
Specifications
Dimensions
| Length | 49.59 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 50.50 m |
| Height | 14.76 m |
| Wing area | 300.0 m² |
Weights & fuel
| Max. take-off weight | 190,000 kg |
|---|
Performance
| Max. speed | 900 km/h |
|---|---|
| Cruise speed | 800 km/h |
| Range | 5,000 km |
| Service ceiling | 10,000 m |
Crew & capacity
| Crew | 15 |
|---|
Powerplant
| Engines | 4 |
|---|---|
| Engine model | Soloviev D-30KP |
| Thrust (each) | 117.7 kN |
Figures are compiled from public sources and may be approximate; they can vary by variant and configuration.
Did you know?
The rotating radar dome is about 10 m across.
Photos
Photo 1: Dmitry Terekhov from Odintsovo, Russian Federation / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Some text and images come from Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA licences.
