Ilyushin Il-78 “Midas” — History, Specs & Stories

Il-78
Aircraft Museum · Tanker · Il-78

Ilyushin Il-78 “Midas”
The Soviet Union’s Flying Fuel Station

Built on the Il-76 airlifter, the Il-78 gave Soviet and Russian long-range aviation a modern three-point tanker, and became the standard aerial refueller of India, Pakistan, Algeria and Ukraine.

1983First flight
45–53Built at Tashkent
105.7 tTransferable fuel (Il-78M)
3Receivers at once
Photo: Indian Air Force / GODL-India via Wikimedia Commons
RoleAerial refuelling tanker (and transport on the basic Il-78)Era1980s to presentEngine4 × Aviadvigatel (Soloviev) D-30KP turbofans; PS-90A-76 on the Il-78M-90AOriginUSSR / Russia · Ilyushin; built in Tashkent and UlyanovskStatusIn serviceWant to fly a real military jet?

The Story

The Il-78: how the Il-76 airlifter became Russia’s strategic tanker

Through the 1960s and 1970s the Soviet Air Force refuelled its bombers from converted bombers. Myasishchev M-4 and 3M aircraft fitted as tankers supported long-range aviation, and Tu-16 tankers served the medium bombers, but both used a single hose and were growing old. The arrival of new long-range bombers and of probe-equipped tactical aircraft called for something better. Ilyushin’s answer was to adapt its Il-76 four-engined airlifter, which was already in large-scale production at Tashkent in Soviet Uzbekistan. The result, the Il-78, known to NATO as Midas, first flew on 26 June 1983 and entered service in the mid-1980s, giving the Soviet Union a modern jet tanker comparable in role to the American KC-135.

The Il-78 carries its fuel in the Il-76’s wings and in large tanks inside the cargo hold. It passes it through three UPAZ-1 hose-and-drogue pods, one under each outer wing and one on the left side of the rear fuselage, and can refuel up to three aircraft at a time. Fighters use the wing pods; heavy bombers such as the Tu-95 and Tu-160 use the fuselage pod. On the first version the hold tanks could be removed so the aircraft could serve as a transport. The improved Il-78M, which followed in the late 1980s, had fixed tanks and could transfer about 105.7 tonnes of fuel, against 85.7 tonnes on the original.

Only about 45 to 50 Il-78s were built at Tashkent, a small number by Soviet standards. When the Soviet Union broke up, the fleet was split, with Ukraine inheriting a regiment at Uzin. Russia kept the core, about 19 in service by 2019 according to FlightGlobal’s survey, supporting long-range aviation and tactical aircraft. Ukraine sold most of its aircraft abroad, to Algeria and Pakistan, while India bought six new export Il-78MKI tankers in the early 2000s. In January 2018 a modernised Il-78M-90A, built at Ulyanovsk in Russia with new PS-90A engines, made its first flight, meant to give Russia a new generation of tankers without depending on the Uzbek factory.

Three hoses, four engines and the cargo hold of an airlifter full of fuel.Midas — the Il-76 that carries fuel
01The Il-78 abroad: India, Pakistan, Algeria and China

India was the Il-78’s first new-build export customer. It ordered six Il-78MKI tankers, delivered in 2003 and 2004 and based at Agra with No. 78 Squadron. They were specified with refuelling equipment able to serve both Russian-designed fighters such as the Su-30MKI and Western types such as the Mirage 2000 and Jaguar. The fleet has given the Indian Air Force a real long-range capability, but Indian official audits and press reports have repeatedly criticised its availability and support costs, and India has run several competitions for a replacement tanker, while leasing other aircraft for training.

Pakistan bought four Il-78s from Ukraine, delivered between 2009 and 2011. They were refurbished in Ukraine, can also serve as transports, and allow the Pakistan Air Force to refuel its Mirages and JF-17s. Algeria acquired Il-78s from Ukraine at the end of the 1990s to support its Su-24s and later Su-30MKAs. Ukraine retained a small number itself and converted others into freighters. China has been reported to have acquired ex-Ukrainian Il-78s as well, alongside its own tanker developments.

02The Il-78’s new generation: the Il-78M-90A

The break-up of the Soviet Union left Russia with a problem: its heavy transports and tankers were built in Tashkent, now in independent Uzbekistan. Ilyushin moved production of a modernised Il-76, the Il-76MD-90A, to the Aviastar-SP plant at Ulyanovsk, and the Il-78M-90A, also called the Il-478, is its tanker version. It has new PS-90A-76 turbofans of about 35,000 lb of thrust each, a glass cockpit, a strengthened wing and updated refuelling pods.

The first Il-78M-90A flew in January 2018. Russian accounts give it a higher cruise speed and a shorter take-off run than the D-30-powered Il-78, and the new engines are quieter and more efficient. Rosoboronexport also offers an export version, the Il-78MK-90A. Production has been slow, and the older Il-78s and Il-78Ms remain the backbone of Russia’s tanker force. For the Russian Aerospace Forces, the question is less the aircraft itself than numbers: a fleet of a few dozen tankers must support strategic bombers, long-range fighters and transports across eleven time zones.

Design & Engineering

What makes the Il-78 special

01

Three UPAZ pods

The Il-78 relies entirely on hose-and-drogue refuelling: there is no flying boom. Three UPAZ-1 pods trail hoses with baskets, two under the wings for tactical aircraft and one on the left rear fuselage, used mainly for heavy aircraft. Fuel flows at about 900 to 2,200 litres a minute depending on the receiver. Because Soviet and Russian aircraft all use probes, one standard serves every receiver, from MiG-31 and Su-34 to Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers. The trade-off is speed of transfer to large aircraft, which is slower than through a boom.

02

An airlifter’s strengths

Building on the Il-76 gave the Il-78 the airlifter’s strong high-mounted wing, rugged landing gear for poor runways and four D-30KP turbofans. On the original Il-78 the cargo-hold tanks could be removed, so the same aircraft could carry cargo when not tanking. The Il-78M gave up that flexibility for more fuel. GlobalSecurity notes that the type can also act as a ground refueller, feeding several aircraft at once on an airfield without fuel facilities. The shared airframe also means crews can move between the two types with limited retraining.

03

Range and offload

The Il-78M can transfer about 105.7 tonnes of fuel in total. The farther it flies, the less it has left to give: published figures for the Il-78M are about 74 tonnes available at 1,000 km from base, 56 tonnes at 2,000 km and 40 tonnes at 3,000 km. That made it well suited to supporting bomber missions far from Russian territory and to refuelling fighters over the vast distances of Russia itself. The figures show why tanker planning is a matter of geometry as much as fuel.

03The Il-78’s variants: from Il-78 to Il-78M-90A
  • Il-78: original tanker with removable hold tanks and three UPAZ-1 pods; could double as a transport.
  • Il-78M: dedicated tanker with fixed tanks and about 105.7 tonnes of transferable fuel.
  • Il-78MKI: export version for India, able to refuel both Russian and Western-designed fighters.
  • Il-78MP: Pakistani aircraft supplied from Ukraine, with removable tanks for transport use.
  • Il-78M-90A / Il-478: modernised tanker built at Ulyanovsk with PS-90A-76 engines; first flight 2018.
  • Il-78MK-90A: export version of the modernised tanker offered by Rosoboronexport.
Technical Data

Ilyushin Il-78M specifications

Specifications

Crew
6
Length
46.59 m (152 ft 10 in)
Wingspan
50.50 m (165 ft 8 in)
Height
14.76 m (48 ft 5 in)
Max take-off weight
210,000 kg (462,971 lb)
Transferable fuel
about 105,700 kg (233,000 lb); 85,700 kg (189,000 lb) on the basic Il-78
Powerplant
4 × Aviadvigatel D-30KP-2 turbofans, about 118 kN (26,500 lbf) each
Maximum speed
about 850 km/h (530 mph)
Range
about 7,300 km (4,500 miles)
Service ceiling
about 12,000 m (39,000 ft)
Refuelling equipment
3 × UPAZ-1 hose-and-drogue pods
Fuel transfer rate
about 900–2,200 litres per minute

Costs & production

Unit cost
Export price reported at about US$25–35 million per aircraft (GlobalSecurity, for the D-30-powered versions)
Cost per flight hour
Hedged estimate: roughly US$10,000–20,000 per hour, based on the four D-30KP turbofans’ fuel burn and Il-76-class maintenance; no official figure published
Production
Between about 45 and 53 built at Tashkent (sources differ), plus new-generation Il-78M-90A aircraft at Ulyanovsk
Programme
First flight 1983; in service from the mid-1980s; modernised Il-78M-90A flew in 2018
04The Il-78’s operating costs: a thirsty workhorse

The Il-78 shares its engines and most of its systems with the Il-76, which keeps parts and training within a large fleet. The D-30KP turbofans, however, are 1970s technology and are thirsty and noisy by modern standards, and the tanker burns a significant share of its own fuel load on long missions. India’s experience shows the other cost: support from the original manufacturer and its suppliers across several post-Soviet countries has been difficult, and availability has suffered.

The Il-78M-90A’s PS-90A engines are designed to reduce fuel burn and maintenance, but few have been delivered. Real hourly costs for any Il-78 operator are not published, so the figure above is an estimate based on comparable aircraft.

Timeline

The Il-78 from Tashkent to the Il-78M-90A

1983

First flight

The Il-78 tanker, derived from the Il-76MD, flies on 26 June.

Mid-1980s

Into service

The Il-78 joins Soviet long-range aviation, replacing ageing bomber-based tankers.

Late 1980s

Il-78M

The improved Il-78M with fixed tanks and more fuel enters service.

1991

Fleet divided

The Soviet break-up leaves Il-78s in Russia and Ukraine and the factory in Uzbekistan.

1998

Algeria

Algeria acquires Il-78s from Ukraine.

2003

India’s Il-78MKI

Deliveries of six new tankers to the Indian Air Force begin, completed in 2004.

2007

Bomber patrols resume

Russia restarts regular long-range bomber patrols, supported by Il-78 tankers.

2009

Pakistan

The first of four Il-78s from Ukraine is delivered to the Pakistan Air Force; the last arrives in 2011.

2015

Syria

Russian long-range bombers strike Syria from Russian bases, with tanker support reported by the Russian defence ministry.

2018

Il-78M-90A flies

The modernised tanker built at Ulyanovsk makes its first flight in January.

Stories & Eyewitnesses

Stories & eyewitnesses: the Il-78 from Engels to Agra

People

Replacing the Bison tankers

Why the Soviet Union needed a new tanker.

Read the full story
For two decades, Soviet long-range aviation depended on tankers converted from Myasishchev M-4 and 3M bombers. They were large, but they had a single hose, were old and were expensive to keep flying. The coming Tu-160 and the growing fleet of probe-equipped fighters needed a modern tanker. Ilyushin’s idea was to use an aircraft already in mass production, the Il-76, rather than design a new one. It saved time and money and gave the Il-78 a large pool of shared parts and trained mechanics from the outset.
People

Made in Tashkent

A Russian tanker built in Uzbekistan.

Read the full story
Like the Il-76, the Il-78 was built by the Tashkent Chkalov aircraft production association in Soviet Uzbekistan, one of the largest aircraft factories in the Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, the factory found itself in a new country, while most of its customers were in Russia. Production of Il-76 derivatives continued for a time, but slowed sharply, and Russia eventually moved production of the modernised Il-76 family, including the Il-78M-90A, to Ulyanovsk. For Russian planners it was a lesson in the risks of depending on a factory abroad.
People

Ukraine’s tankers at Uzin

An inheritance that went abroad.

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At independence, Ukraine inherited a regiment of Il-78s at Uzin, south of Kyiv, which had supported Soviet long-range bombers. Without a large bomber force of its own, Ukraine had little use for them. Over the following years, most were sold abroad, to Algeria and Pakistan among others, or converted into freighters for commercial cargo work. For Ukraine the aircraft were an important source of export revenue in the difficult 1990s and 2000s. A small number stayed with the Ukrainian Air Force.
Training

India’s No. 78 Squadron

The tanker that gave India reach.

Read the full story
In 2003 and 2004 the Indian Air Force received six Il-78MKI tankers, based at Agra with No. 78 Squadron. For the first time India could refuel its fighters on long-range missions over the Indian Ocean and beyond, and exercises with the Su-30MKI showed how far its air force could now reach. The tankers have also refuelled Indian fighters on long ferry flights to exercises abroad. Their serviceability, however, has been a recurring concern, and the Indian Air Force has long sought additional tankers.
People

Pakistan’s Il-78s

Second-hand tankers for a growing air force.

Read the full story
Pakistan ordered four Il-78s from Ukraine in the late 2000s, and the aircraft were delivered between 2009 and 2011 after refurbishment. They gave the Pakistan Air Force its first aerial refuelling capability, allowing its Mirage fighters and later its JF-17s to fly longer missions over the sea and further from their bases. Because their hold tanks can be removed, the aircraft also serve as heavy transports, valuable in disaster relief operations in a country often hit by floods and earthquakes.
Combat

The return of the bomber patrols

Long flights to the edges of NATO airspace.

Read the full story
In August 2007 Russia announced that its strategic bombers would resume regular long-range patrols, which had largely stopped after the Soviet collapse. Tu-95s and Tu-160s began flying over the North Atlantic, the Arctic and the Pacific, often intercepted by NATO fighters near the UK, Norway and Alaska. Many of these flights depended on Il-78 tankers, which met the bombers over the Barents and Norwegian Seas. GlobalSecurity records exercises in early 2008 involving dozens of aircraft, Tu-95s and Il-78s among them.
Combat

Syria, 2015

Bombers strike from Russia.

Read the full story
In November 2015 Russia used its long-range bombers in combat for the first time in decades, against targets in Syria. Tu-160s, Tu-95s and Tu-22M3s launched cruise missiles and dropped bombs, some flying from bases in Russia on long routes. According to Russian defence ministry accounts, some of the Tu-160 sorties involved an exceptionally long route around Europe with air refuelling on the way, which only the Il-78 fleet could provide. It was the Il-78’s most prominent combat role. Western air forces tracked the flights closely.
Display

Over Red Square

A refuelling formation in the Victory Day flypast.

Read the full story
Since Russia brought aircraft back to the Victory Day parade in Moscow in 2008, the flypast has often included an Il-78 flying in formation with Tu-160 bombers or fighters, demonstrating air-to-air refuelling over Red Square. The formation is one of the parade’s most photographed elements and has also been flown at air shows such as MAKS, making the Il-78 one of the best known Russian military aircraft among the public even though it rarely features in combat news. Flying such a formation at low level over a city demands precise station-keeping from both crews.
Record

The Il-78M-90A takes off

A tanker for a new century.

Read the full story
In January 2018 the first Il-78M-90A made its maiden flight from Ulyanovsk. It was an important moment for Russian industry: a strategic tanker built entirely in Russia, with Russian PS-90A engines and modern avionics. The aircraft promised a higher cruising speed, a shorter take-off run and lower fuel burn than the old Il-78. Production has been slow, however, and the older fleet continues to carry most of the load. Russian officials have spoken of large orders, but deliveries have been far fewer than announced, and a new tanker fleet remains a long-term goal rather than a reality.
Gallery

The Il-78 in pictures

Il-78
Il-78Photo: Ludvig14 / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Il-78
Il-78Photo: Indian Air Force / GODL-India via Wikimedia Commons
Il-78
Il-78Photo: Steve Lympany / OGL v1.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Il-78
Il-78Photo: MilborneOne / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Operations

Where the Il-78 flies and flew

Service Record

The Il-78’s record

The Il-78 is a support aircraft and its operational record is less documented than that of its Western counterparts. It has supported Russian long-range aviation for four decades, including combat missions over Syria, and has given India, Pakistan and Algeria their aerial refuelling capability.

105.7 tTransferable fuel, Il-78M
~19In Russian service (2019)
6Il-78MKI tankers for India

See how training and combat types compare in the military aircraft statistics database. Figures are approximate.

Questions & Answers

Everything people ask about the Il-78

Can I fly in an Ilyushin Il-78?
MiGFlug does not offer flights in the Il-78, but you can fly several genuine military jets today, from the L-39 Albatros to the MiG-21, see MiGFlug’s jet flights.
What does Midas mean?
Midas is the NATO reporting name for the Il-78. NATO gives names beginning with M to miscellaneous aircraft that are not fighters, bombers, transports or helicopters.
Is the Il-78 based on the Il-76?
Yes. It is a tanker version of the Il-76 airlifter, with fuel tanks in the hold and three refuelling pods.
Does the Il-78 have a refuelling boom?
No. It uses three hose-and-drogue pods, which suit Soviet and Russian aircraft fitted with refuelling probes.
Who flies the Il-78?
Russia, India, Pakistan and Algeria. Ukraine flew it after independence, and China is reported to have acquired some.
How much fuel can it give away?
About 105.7 tonnes on the Il-78M, less the farther it flies from base.
The part of the museum you can fly

You can’t fly the Il-78.
These, you can.

Most of this museum you can only look at. These genuine military jets you can fly yourself with MiGFlug — with aerobatics and time on the controls.

See all jet flights

Related Aircraft

Continue the tour

The CustomerTupolev Tu-160 BlackjackThe supersonic bomber whose long missions depend on the Il-78.Read the Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack storyThe CustomerTupolev Tu-95 BearThe turboprop bomber the Il-78 supports on long-range patrols.Read the Tupolev Tu-95 Bear storyThe PredecessorMyasishchev M-4 BisonThe bomber whose tanker versions the Il-78 replaced.Read the Myasishchev M-4 Bison story
Sources & Further Reading

Every fact, checked