United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) announced on 13 March that the first upgraded Ilyushin Il-76MD-M transport aircraft has been delivered to the Russian Ministry of Defence.

Russia sealed the first contract to upgrade Il-76MD military transport aircraft to the Il-76MD-M version in 2016. Under the contract, the aircraft’s flight and navigation, communications and defence equipment have been modernized as well as its engines. The platform has been equipped with Global Air Traffic Management (GATM)-compliant digital cockpit and an electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor.

The first of 30 aircraft to be upgraded will undergo a series of trials before entering service with Russian Aerospace Forces. The upgrades provided an additional 15 years of service life to the aircraft.