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Ilyushin Il-38

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Ilyushin Il-38
Company typeMilitary aircraft
IndustryAerospace
PredecessorIlyushin Il-18
Founded1960
ProductsMaritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft


"Il-38" redirects here. For the protein, see IL1F10. For the road, see Illinois Route 38.

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The Ilyushin Il-38 (also known as Dolphin)[1] with the NATO reporting name May is a maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare platform developed by the Soviet Union. It represents a specialized variant derived from the Ilyushin Il-18 turboprop transport aircraft.

Design and development

Derived from the four-engine turboprop Ilyushin Il-18, the Il-38 was modified to serve as a maritime patrol aircraft for the Soviet Navy, fulfilling a strategic need to track and counter U.S. ballistic missile submarines. On 18 June 1960, a directive jointly issued by the Communist Party Central Committee and the Council of Ministers mandated a prototype to be completed for evaluation by mid-1962. The Il-38 retained the Il-18’s fuselage, wing, tail assembly, engine nacelles, powerplant, and cockpit layout. Its aerodynamic prototype took flight on 28 September 1961,[2] followed by initial production models entering service in September 1967. Manufacturing continued until 1972, when the more capable Tupolev Tu-142, a derivative of the strategic bomber Tupolev Tu-95, was introduced.[3]

Structurally based on the Il-18 airframe, the Il-38 features wings shifted forward by approximately 3 m (9.84 ft).[4] Unlike its predecessor, only the forward section of the fuselage is pressurized. The aircraft is equipped with a Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD) in its tail section. Beneath the forward fuselage lies a bulged radome housing the Berkut ("Golden Eagle") search radar system, referred to by NATO as "Wet Eye". Internally, there are two weapons bays: one positioned ahead of the wing for sonobuoy deployment and another behind the wing designated for armaments.[2]

While some Western sources report a total production of 58 units,[3] statements from the commander of an ASW squadron based at Ostrov indicate that Soviet Naval Aviation received only 35 aircraft,[1] with roughly thirty remaining active within Russian Naval Aviation.[5] India acquired five units during 1977–78.[1] In the mid-1990s, plans to replace the Il-38 in Russian service favored a competition won by the Tu-204/Tu-214 airliner over the Beriev A-40/Be-42 amphibious aircraft,[1] although financial constraints ultimately hindered this effort. More recently, development of an A-40 variant appears underway to succeed the Il-38.

India initially received three ex-Soviet Naval Aviation Il-38s in 1977, followed by two additional aircraft in 1983. Indian modifications included installation of pylons on either side of the fuselage for carrying Sea Eagle anti-ship missiles.[6] The Indian Navy has sent several Il-38s back to Russia for modernization under the Sea Dragon program, which integrates advanced avionics including a new radar system, a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) turret mounted beneath the nose, and an electronic intelligence suite housed in a box-like pod affixed above the forward fuselage on struts.[5] Three upgraded examples designated Il-38 SD have been delivered to India.[7] Following a mid-air collision in 2002 that resulted in loss of two Il-38s, India purchased two additional ex-Russian Il-38s in 2008; these arrived in Il-38 SD configuration during 2009 and 2010 respectively.[8][9] Additionally, Indian Il-38s are capable of launching Kh-35E missiles.[10]

In February 2017, reports indicated that approximately thirty upgraded Il-38N aircraft would be procured by the Russian Navy.[11]

Operational history

File:Soviet Il-38 May passing low over USS Midway (CV-41).jpg
An IL-38 May flying low above USS Midway on 18 May 1979

During the early 1970s, one prototype was lost after being compelled to ditch into the sea.[1]

The Il-38 was utilized by squadrons within the Soviet Northern, Pacific, and Baltic fleets. In March 1968, a group of Il-38s was stationed in Cairo, Egypt, operated by Soviet personnel but bearing Egyptian insignia, remaining there until their withdrawal in 1972. Throughout the Cold War, Il-38s were frequently deployed abroad, operating from locations such as Aden in South Yemen, Asmara in then Ethiopia, as well as bases in Libya and Syria. In 1984, during a commando assault at Asmara, two Il-38s were targeted on the ground, with at least one destroyed by fighters from the Eritrean People's Liberation Front.[3] Following the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Il-38 aircraft remained active within the Russian Navy’s Arctic and Pacific Fleets.[5]

The aircraft made its inaugural visit to a NATO facility in 1995 at NAS Jacksonville in the United States.[1] Its first public display at a Western airshow occurred during the 1996 Royal International Air Tattoo held in the United Kingdom.[1]

On 1 October 2002, a tragic midair collision took place amidst the Indian squadron's silver jubilee celebrations. Two aircraft, IN302 and IN304, flying side by side, collided above Dabolim airport in Goa. The accident resulted in the loss of all twelve crew members (six per plane), and both aircraft were destroyed.[12]

On 31 October 2023, the Indian Navy officially retired its entire fleet of three Il-38 aircraft after a combined operational period of 46 years and approximately 55,000 hours conducting maritime surveillance missions. These planes have been succeeded by modern platforms including the Boeing P-8I Neptune and HAL 228 as part of ongoing naval modernization efforts.[13]

Variants

File:Ilyushin IL-38SD 'May' IN305.jpg
An unmarked Ilyushin IL-38 later delivered to the Indian Navy in 1983; this was the first Il-38 in their fleet to be upgraded to SD standard.
File:День ВМФ 2020 СПб. Самолёт Ил-38н.jpg
Ilyushin Il-38N as seen in 2020
Il-38
Standard production model
Il-38M
Equipped with a receiver probe designed for probe-and-drogue aerial refueling; however, this system was never adopted.
Il-38SD
ISD-38MZ
A tanker variant developed from the Il-38; only a prototype was built.
Il-38N
An enhanced version sometimes called Il-38SD or Sea Dragon, featuring an advanced search and tracking system. The Russian Navy’s variant incorporates the Novella P-38 system.[14] This Novella P-38 radar can detect airborne targets up to 90 kilometers away and monitor surface objects within a radius of 320 kilometers, simultaneously tracking up to 32 targets both above and below water.[15] To date, eight units have been delivered to the Russian Navy.[16]Template:Verify source These modernized anti-submarine aircraft are currently operational with Russia’s Pacific and Northern Fleets.[17]

Operators

File:IAF Tu-142 and Il-38.jpg
An Il-38 belonging to the Indian Navy stationed at INS Hansa, Goa, in 2006, with a Tupolev Tu-142 visible in the foreground

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Previous operators

Template:USSR
Template:IND
  • Indian Naval Air Arm:[18] The Indian Navy operated a total of seven Il-38 aircraft. Initially, three units were delivered in 1977, followed by two more in 1983. After losing two aircraft in a mid-air collision in 2002, they were replaced with two second-hand Il-38s acquired from Russia in 2009 and 2010. The type was officially retired from Indian service on 31 October 2023.

Exhibited aircraft

India
  • IN-301: This aircraft is preserved at the National Maritime Heritage Complex, located in Lothal, India. IN-301 was the first Il-38 inducted into Indian service, entering commission on 1 October 1977.[19] It underwent conversion to the Il-38SD variant in 2002. The aircraft was decommissioned in January 2022 and thereafter placed under preservation.[20]
  • IN-305: Located at the Naval Aviation Museum (Goa), Goa, India, this unit entered service in 1983 and was upgraded to the Il-38SD standard in 2002.[8] It holds the distinction of being the first Indian Il-38 to be retired, having been withdrawn from service in December 2018 and subsequently preserved from 2020.
  • IN-306: Scheduled for preservation at the Naval Aviation Museum (Goa), Goa, India. This aircraft was among two used Il-38s obtained from Russia in 2008 to reinforce the fleet. It was retired on 31 October 2023 and earmarked for preservation during that year.[20]
  • IN-302 or IN-307: One of these two airframes is planned to be conserved at Nipani, Karnataka, India following the retirement of the type.[21]

Technical specifications (Il-38)

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See also

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References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lake 2005, p.31.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lake 2005, p.32.
  4. ↑ Gordon 2004, p.92.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lake 2005, p.36.
  6. ↑ Lake 2005, pp.32–33.
  7. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  9. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  10. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  12. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  13. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  14. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  15. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  16. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  17. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  18. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  19. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  21. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  • Lake, Jon. "Russia's Submarine Hunter: Ilyushin IL-38 May". Air International, February 2005, Vol 68 No.2. Stamford, UK: Key Publishing. pp. 30–36.
  • Gordon, Yefim and Dmitriy Komissarov, Ilyushin Il-18/-20/-22; A Versatile Turboprop Transport, Midland Publishing: Hinckley, England. 2004.

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