Beriev 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 metres (30 ft) Detection range is 650 kilometres (400 mi) for air targets and 300 kilometres (190 mi) for ground targets.[3]

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 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) from its base, at a maximum takeoff weight of 190 metric tons (420,000 lb). The aircraft can be refuelled by Il-78 tankers.[4][5]

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 kilometres (140 mi). Large targets, like surface ships, can be tracked at a distance of 400 kilometres (250 mi).[6]

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 Krasnyy" as a prototype. It replaces analog avionics with a new digital avionics suite, made by Vega Radio Engineering Corporation, that speeds data processing and improves signal tracking and target detection. Crew rest, toilet and galley facilities are also included in the upgrade.[7]

After completing the joint state tests, Beriev has delivered the first A-50U to the Russian Air Force. The aircraft, "47 Krasnyy'"RF-92957, was handed over at Beriev's facility in Taganrog on 31 October 2011.[8] 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).[7] The fourth A-50U, "41 Taganrog", was delivered to the Russian Aerospace Forces on 7 March 2017. The fifth A-50U, "45 Krasnyy", was delivered on 6 December 2018. 7 aircraft have been delivered as of December 2021.[9]

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.[7]

In late December 2015, the A-50 started operations over Syria, flying from Russia, to support Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War.[10]

In December 2018, it was deployed to Crimea.[11]

On 26 February 2023, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a Russian A-50 was reportedly damaged by explosions while stationary at the Machulishchy air base near Minsk, Belarus. Belarusian partisans have claimed to have attacked the plane using drone-dropped munitions. Russia is believed to have nine operational A-50s.[12] The attacked base also hosts MiG-31 fighters used to attack Ukraine.[13][14][15] However, satellite imagery of the Machulishchy air base from 28 February showed no significant damage to the sole A-50 located there.[16] The drone operators posted a video of a practice run of the alleged A50U bombing on Youtube on March 2, 2023, which shows the drone flying into Machulishchy unopposed, then landing on the A-50's rotodome. A-50U Drone Attack Practice Run. On March 3, 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. Drone Attack Video

Indian Air Force Beriev A-50EI

• A-50 – Original variant.
• A-50M – Updated variant of the A-50 fitted with mid-air refueling capability.
• A-50U – Updated variant of the A-50M with modern electronics and increased crew comfort.[17][18]
• Izdeliye-676[19] – One-off stop-gap telemetry and tracking aircraft.
• Izdeliye-776[19] – One-off stop-gap telemetry and tracking aircraft.
• Izdeliye-976 (SKIP)[19] – (Airborne Check-Measure-and-Control Center) – Il-76-based Range Control and Missile tracking platform. Initially built to support Raduga Kh-55 cruise missile tests.
• Izdeliye-1076[19] – One-off special mission aircraft with unknown duties.
• A-50EI – An export version for the Indian Air Force with Aviadvigatel PS-90A-76 engines and Israeli EL/W-2090 radar.[20]

 India

• Indian Air Force (2 on order)[21]
  • No. 50 Squadron IAF

A Russian A-50U at Vladivostok International Airport 2019

 Russia

• Russian Air Force[21]
  • 2457th Aviation Base
  • 144th Airborne Early Warning Aviation Regiment

Orthographically projected diagram of the Beriev A-50.

Data from

General characteristics

• Crew: 15
• Length: 49.59 m (162 ft 8 in)
• Wingspan: 50.5 m (165 ft 8 in)
• Height: 14.76 m (48 ft 5 in)
• Wing area: 300 m² (3,200 sq ft)
• Airfoil: root: TsAGI P-151 (13%); tip: TsAGI P-151 (10%)[22]
• Empty weight: 75,000 kg (165,347 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 170,000 kg (374,786 lb)
• Powerplant: 4 × Soloviev D-30KP turbofan engines, 117.68 kN (26,460 lbf) thrust each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 900 km/h (560 mph, 490 kn)
• Range: 7,500 km (4,700 mi, 4,000 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 12,000 m (39,000 ft)

Related development

• Beriev A-100
• Ilyushin Il-76
• KJ-2000

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Boeing E-3 Sentry

• Yefim Gordon, Dmitriy Kommisarov: Flight Craft 6: Il'yushin/Beriyev A-50. Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 2015, ISBN 978-1-4738-2391-4
• Yefim Gordon, Dmitriy Komissarov, Sergey Komissarov: OBB Ilyushin: A History of the Design Bureau and Its Aircraft ISBN 978-1-8578-0187-3

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Beriev A-50.

• vectorsite.net Beriev A-50
• Spyflight.co.uk – Beriev A-50 Mainstay
• Aviation.ru A-50
• Red-stars.org – A-50 Mainstay
• Source article of NVO (in Russian)
• Iranian AEW (in Persian)