Russia reportedly working on new ‘Doomsday’ plane
- ‘Doomsday’ planes serve as flying command and control centres in a disaster like nuclear war
- The plane is based off the Il-96-400M airliner and will replace Russia’s current fleet of Il-80s
Russia is working on a new “Doomsday” plane, a military aircraft that can serve as a flying command and control centre in a disaster like nuclear-armed conflict, according to Russian state media.
The work is under way in Voronezh, according to state-run news agency RIA Novosti, which cited a source in the state military-industrial complex.
As Tass, another Russian state-run outlet, reported last fall, the new planes are said to be modified versions of the Ilyushin Il-96-400M airliner.
Russian forces are expected to receive at least two of the new aircraft, one of which is already in production, RIA Novosti's source revealed.
“Doomsday” planes, as these aircraft are commonly called, are airborne command and control aircraft that can be used to evacuate top officials in an emergency and are equipped with the technology to direct the armed forces in the event of a disaster like a nuclear war.
The new Russian planes are expected to replace the older Il-80 aircraft, which are militarised versions of the Il-86 passenger planes. For instance, unlike the airliners on which they are based, “Doomsday” planes are windowless to shield those inside from a nuclear blast.