The Ilyushin IL-78 (NATO reporting name Midas) is based on (or converted from) the airframe of the IL-76MD military freighter, this aerial refueling tanker aircraft entered service in 1987 to replace the elderly and incapable 
Myasishchev M-4 "Bison". Indian Airforce operates its own version of this aircraft designated the IL78MKI.
Defence Minister Jaswant Singh, in a written reply to Parliament in July 2001, said the IAF is acquiring six IL-78/78M in-flight refueling aircraft from Uzbekistan. The price negotiation committee completed its work in February 2001 and the contracts were signed in April 2001. The price per aircraft has been put at approximately $50 million.
Design and Development
The IL-76MD tanker was conceived as long ago as 1968, but the transferable fuel load for the initial version was only 10 tonnes, which was insufficient, and development was shelved. When the higher performance IL-76MD became available, the tanker project was re-started, as the Il-78, in 1982. In addition to the increased fuel load of the late model IL-76MD, the Il-78 has two, removeable, 18,230 l fuel tanks installed in the freight hold, giving a transferable load of 85,720 kg (188,584 lb) with hold tanks and 57,720 kg (126,984 lb) without hold tanks. Controlled from the Gunners cockpit, which is stripped of military equipment, three aircraft may refuel in flight, simultaneously, from the UPAZ-1A (Il-78) / UPAZ-1M (Il-78M) refuelling pods fitted to the outer wings and rear fuselage. In addition four aircraft can also be refuelled on the ground using conventional refuelling hoses extending from the freight hold. Due to the high weights after take-off, which, in an emergency, would mean landing at weights well in excess of maximum allowable landing weight, the Il-78 has a fuel jettison system, with jettison ports at the wingtips.
Soon after the Il-78 passed acceptance tests, in 1984, Ilyushin were instructed to design and produce an upgraded version to be known as Il-78M. The Il-78M is a dedicated tanker and cannot be converted back to the transport role easily. Adding a third freight hold tank increases the transferrable fuel to 105,720 kg (233,070 lb),and the Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) to 210,000 kg ,which required the wing torsion box to be strengthened. Fitted with the improved UPAZ-1M refuelling pods, the maximum fuel flow was increased to 2,340 l/min (514.8 Imp gal/min). Because the Il-78M is not "convertible" all cargo handling equipment is removed and cargo doors deleted, saving approximately 5,000 kg in structural weight.
Early versions of the Il-78 have the fuselage pod mounted on a short horizontal pylon, but the Il-78M has the fuselage pod suspended from an identical pylon to the wing pods, attached to a short stub wing, this modification was carried out to isolate the pod from turbulence generated by the fuselage, with the added benefit of commonality with the wing pod/pylon combination. Il-78s were produced with Aeroflot colours and civilian registrations, but production Il-78Ms received military markings, registration and colour scheme.
The majority of the twenty Il-78 aircraft on the strength of the Ukrainian Air Force have been permanently converted to pure transports by removal of freight hold tanks and refuelling equipment.
Il-78MKI is a customized variant of the Il-78ME for the Indian Air Force. These Uzbekistan-built planes are fitted with Israeli fuel transferring systems and can refuel 6-8 Sukhoi sukhoi-su-30mki in one mission.
Units
| Number | Unit Type |
Nickname |
Motto |
Raised On | First Type |
Current Type |
Location |
| 78 |
MAR Squadron |
Battle Cry |
Valorous MARS | 2003 | IL-78MKI |
IL-78MKI |
Agra |
Operational History
The first two Il-78s arrived in India in the first half of 2003 and are believed to be part of a newly raised No.78 "Battle Cry" Squadron. We should however mention that the information on the Squadron is yet to be confirmed by official sources. The Il-78MKI as it was designated in the IAF made its first public appearance in the Air Force Day Parade on 8th October 2003. It is evident from photographs that the Il-78s had carried out operations with the sukhoi-su-30mki and various variants of the Jaguar family.
Specifications
Type: Heavy Lift transport.
Accommodation: Six.
Capacity: 138,000 kg (304,233 lb) of fuel Length: 46.59 m (152 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in)
Height: 14.76 m (37 ft 1 in)
Wing area: 300 m² (3,230 ft²)
Empty weight: 72,000 kg (202,821 lb)
Useful load: 85,720 kg (188,980 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 210,000 kg (462,962 lb)
Powerplant: 4× Aviadvigatel D-30 KP turbofan engines, 118 kN (26,500 lbf) each
Special equipment: 3 x UPAZ-1M 'Sakhalin', (oonifitseerovannyy podvesnoy agregaht zaprahvki - standardised suspended refuelling unit), refuelling pods; Two on pylons under the outer wings, and the third on the port side of the rear fuselage. Possibly replaced by Israeli Pods on the MKI.
