Russia dismantles unique warplane for housing development
Russian local media report on the unusual fate of the unique Ilyushin Il-76PP aircraft. According to available information, dismantling work is ongoing in Irkutsk, and ultimately, this one-of-a-kind aircraft is to be scrapped.
The Ukrainian portal Militarny highlighted the unusual reports from Russia. It notes that Russian media are reporting the ongoing dismantling of this globally unique aircraft, the Il-76PP. According to Irk.rus, citing eyewitnesses, the work began in November 2024 under the direction of the Russian Ministry of Defense, which owns the aircraft, and it will continue until the end of the year.
Russians are getting rid of Il-76PP
These actions relate to plans to build a residential complex on the former Aviation School airport site in Irkutsk. Militarny points out that the land where the Il-76PP is located no longer belongs to the ministry, and the aircraft cannot be moved due to its size.
The Il-76PP is a specialized version of the Soviet transport aircraft Il-76, designed in the mid-1980s as an airborne electronic warfare (EW) platform. Its main task was to disrupt and neutralize enemy radar and communication systems, which was crucial in military operations, especially during armed conflicts where electronic dominance was key.
The Il-76PP was structurally based on the military transport Il-76MD. However, it was equipped with advanced electronic jamming systems, antennas, and additional devices to support EW activities. Despite these modifications, it retained the fundamental performance characteristics typical of the Il-76 series, such as a maximum takeoff weight of approximately 419,000 pounds and a range of about 2,500–3,100 miles, depending on load and operational conditions.
The Il-76PP was tested until the 1990s. However, as Militarny reports, the aircraft did not enter mass production. Problems with the radio equipment, which proved unreliable, contributed to this. In 1992, the aircraft was moved to the airport grounds of the Aviation School in Irkutsk, where it has remained until now.
