Russia's Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with JSC United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) to purchase two Ilyushin Ⅱ-96-400TZ air refuelling tankers. The deal was announced on January 7, but no timescale for deliveries was given. The Russian Air Force will use the aircraft to support the worldwide operations of Long- Range Aviation Command's Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers. The tankers will have the capability to transfer more than 65 tonnes of fuel at a range of up to 1,855nm (3,500km) from base. They will be fitted with the UPAZ-1 aerial refuelling pods, which have already been proven in service on the existing Ⅱ-78/78M tankers. The new tankers will be military variants of the commercial Ⅱ-96-400T long-range freighter, which is powered by four PS-90A1 turbofans and has a reinforced floor for cargo. The aircraft also has a longer fuselage, which has been extended by 31ft 6in (9.6m), compared with the baseline passenger-variant, the Ⅱ-96-300.
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