Beriev A-50 - Billeder & Videoer

Den Beriev A-50 (NATO reporting name: Mainstay) is a Soviet airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft based on the Ilyushin Il-76 transport. Developed to replace the Tupolev Tu-126 “Moss”, the A-50 first flew in 1978. Its existence was revealed to the Western Bloc in 1980 by Adolf Tolkachev. It entered service in 1984, with about 40 produced by 1992.

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The Beriev A-50 is a Soviet airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft that was developed in the late 1970s and entered service in 1985. It is based on the Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft and features a large rotodome on top of the fuselage that houses a powerful radar system capable of detecting and tracking air and ground targets at long ranges. The A-50 can also direct fighter jets and missile systems to engage enemy threats. The A-50 has a crew of 15 to 16 people and can fly for up to four hours with a range of 1,000 kilometers. It can be refueled in mid-air by Il-78 tankers.
The A-50 was designed to replace the older Tupolev Tu-126 “Moss” AEW&C aircraft that had been in service since 1965. The A-50’s existence was revealed to the Western Bloc in 1980 by Adolf Tolkachev, a Soviet engineer who spied for the CIA. The NATO reporting name for the A-50 is “Mainstay”. About 40 A-50s were produced by 1992, and some of them have been upgraded to the A-50U version with modern digital avionics and improved radar performance. The A-50U forms the basis for the new Beriev A-100 AEW&C aircraft that is expected to replace the A-50 in the future.
The A-50 has been used by the Russian Air Force and the Indian Air Force for surveillance and command missions. In 2019, a Russian A-50 allegedly violated South Korean airspace, triggering warning shots from South Korean fighter jets. In 2023, a Belarusian A-50 stationed at Machulishchy Air Base was attacked by small commercial drones launched by the Belarusian opposition.