Il-78M

An aerial refueling tanker derived from the Il-76 airframe, extending the reach of Russia's bomber and fighter fleets. Fitted with underwing and centerline hose-and-drogue refueling pods and able to revert to a cargo role.

In service since 1987 · 2 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

850

km/h

7,300

km range

12,000

m ceiling

Several performance figures for Russia-origin systems are manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification. Treat these specs as directional, not tested values.

Pricing: No public modern unit cost

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

Russian state channel

Rosoboronexport monopoly; Western sanctions exposure and payment/logistics risk for many buyers.

Channel: Rosoboronexport (state)

Fielded & proven

Limited · 2 operators

In service since 1987. Status: active · ~71 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 850 km/h

Stronger than 46% of transport aircraft
Cruise speed Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.: 750 km/h

Stronger than 38% of transport aircraft
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 7,300 km

Stronger than 70% of transport aircraft
Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.: 12,000 m

Stronger than 53% of transport aircraft

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 46.6 m
Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span.: 50.5 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.: 14.76 m
Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.: 72,000 kg
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 210,000 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 6
Cargo payload Maximum cargo the transport can carry. Higher means more lift per sortie.: 40,000 kg

Stronger than 63% of transport aircraft

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Engine Powerplant model and type.: 4x Aviadvigatel PS-90A-76 turbofans
Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.: 4
Thrust Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).: 157 kN
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Turbofan

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 71

Stronger than 46% of transport aircraft
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 2

Stronger than 57% of transport aircraft

Specifications compiled from public Ilyushin and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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