Russia - the homeland of the 'Elephants': when will the super-heavy Il-100 go into production

Russia - the homeland of the 'Elephants': when will the super-heavy Il-100 go into production 0

Publication date 15.12.2025 16:55

BB.LV

Будущий гигант выполнен по традиционной схеме, но есть нюансы.

Western experts doubt the readiness of the aircraft plant's capacities in Ulyanovsk.

Russians have announced plans to produce new transport aircraft Il-100 'Elephant' and Il-276 at the Ulyanovsk 'Aviastar' plant. However, despite the loud statements, neither project has even achieved its first flight - one exists only in the form of preliminary sketches, while the other has not been completed 'in metal' even after more than 20 years since the start of development, writes Defense Express.

The new plans were announced by the head of the Ulyanovsk region of the Russian Federation, noting that the enterprise requires large-scale technical re-equipment. This involves the construction of new production facilities and an increase in staff from 12,000 to 20,000 workers.

Currently, 'Aviastar' is focused on the production of Il-76MD-90A aircraft and Il-78M-90A tankers; however, the enterprise has repeatedly failed to meet its annual supply plans. Despite this, the plant remains one of the key players in the Russian aviation industry, which makes it the main candidate for new projects.

The Il-100 'Elephant' is conceived as a replacement for the An-124 'Ruslan', which was previously produced by this plant. But so far, the project is only at the stage of early sketches - talking about actual production can only be done in the context of propaganda.

Even more indicative is the story with the Il-276. Its development began in 2001 in collaboration with India, but by 2015, Delhi withdrew from the project. The first flight was planned for 2023, and the start of operation for 2026, but the aircraft is still not completed, and it is unknown if it even exists in a finished form.

In fact, Russia is once again announcing intentions to launch the production of aircraft that do not yet exist. At the same time, the expansion of 'Aviastar' may indicate preparations for increasing the production of already existing models - the only question is whether resources will need to be redirected to other sectors under military conditions.