Images show Russia has deployed its new A-50U airborne early warning aircraft.

Images show Russia has deployed its new A-50U airborne early warning aircraft.

After the destruction of three aircraft by Ukraine, Russia is gradually strengthening its AEW&C fleet with the addition of new A-50Us.

The image, dated May 31, 2026, appears to show a new Russian A-50U airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft being delivered to the Russian Aerospace Force. “Another upgraded and modernized A-50U has been handed over to the military,” the post, first published by the fighter-bomber Telegram channel linked to many frontline RuAF units, reads.

The delivery marks the culmination of painstaking efforts begun by Moscow to address weaknesses in its airborne radar capabilities that it acknowledged even before the Ukraine war. This was initially caused by industrial problems caused by sanctions, but was later made worse by the destruction of three Ukrainian aircraft.

The aircraft registration is not visible and the Bort number has been blurred, which would have helped reveal more information about the aircraft. Not much is known about this new aircraft, and the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has not released any images at the time of writing.

As will be explained later, Russia currently has at least five and up to seven A-50Us. Its replacement, the new A-100 Premier, is not yet in production.

A known unit operating special mission aircraft is the 2457 Air Base for Combat Operations of Airborne Early Warning Aircraft (Aviabaza Boevogo Primeneniya Samolyotov Dal’nego Radiolokatsionnogo Obnaruzheniya) in Ivanovo Severny. This is most likely the same device we received the A-50U in the photos.

A-50, A-50U Mainstay and A-100 Premier

The A-50U (NATO reporting name Mainstay) is the designation given to the 2003 mid-life upgrade (MLU) and modernization program for the Soviet-era A-50 AEW&C aircraft, which entered service in 1984. The A-50 AEW&C system includes the Vega-M radar produced by Ruselectronics’ JSC Vega mounted on the Ilyushin Il-76MD strategic transport aircraft. The A-50U mainstay upgrade program was carried out by Beriev.

According to Russian reports, the A-50U’s Vega-M disk radar can detect low-flying fighter-type targets in ground clutter at a range of 200 to 400 km and can track up to 150 targets at 595 km. While the original Soviet-era A-50 can track 45 targets at 225 km, the A-50U can track up to 150 targets simultaneously, guiding up to 12 fighters simultaneously, and can additionally detect maritime targets up to 400 km away.

Tas and RIA Novosti Other modernizations of the A-50U include a new mission computer, digital signal processing capabilities, older analog units replaced with modern electronics, a larger LCD display system, a new navigation and communications suite, improved ergonomics and a flight control computer to “reduce crew fatigue.”

The A-50U formed the basis for the more advanced A-100 ‘Premier’. The A-100, based on the Il-76MD-90A, is equipped with a new Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar capable of tracking 300 targets at a distance of 643 km, and is said to be able to fly for at least 10 hours without refueling.

fleet number

The 2026 World Air Forces report, which reports two A-100s built, cites a combined figure of 12 AEW&C aircraft, including the A-50U and A-100. The sixth, seventh, and eighth deliveries were reported on March 7, 2017, December 6, 2018, and September 22, 2023, respectively.

Russia New A 50U AEWC 2Russia New A 50U AEWC 2
Image of the A-50U mainstay, tail number RF-93952 and Bort 45 “Red” released by Rostec on September 22, 2023, reporting the delivery of a new aircraft to the RuAF. (Image source: Rostech)

Ukraine has since shot down and destroyed several A-50s since 2024. The first loss of an AEW aircraft with an Il-22 radio repeater occurred on January 14, 2024 over the Sea of ​​Azov.

Another A-50 was lost in the same area on February 23, which the U.S. military later said was the result of a “SAMBush” by Patriot systems. Then, on June 1, 2025, at least one A-50, seven Tu-95s, four Tu-22Ms, and an An-12 were attacked by Ukrainian FPV drones during ‘Operation Spiderweb’.

Including the three losses and the claim for an unconfirmed ninth delivery that occurred after September 2023, the Russian Aerospace Forces may currently have between five and seven A-50Us. As for the A-100, it has not been reported to have entered series production until now, with AESA radar testing planned for a prototype in June 2024.

Ukraine FPV Drone A-50UUkraine FPV Drone A-50U
Video screen capture of a Ukrainian FPV drone attacking a Russian A-50U. (Image source: Ukrainian Security Service via X)

RuAF ability

Russia has long lagged behind its airborne radar, which is partly responsible for many Ukrainian long-range drone and missile attacks that penetrate its rear lines and defenses on Russian territory. One reason was Moscow’s traditional weakness in manufacturing advanced electronic circuits and computing hardware, which has been exacerbated by Western sanctions. We are currently building domestic capabilities in this area.

However, Russia has a healthy fleet compared to other aircraft types, including a two-seat version of the Su-57, believed to be the Su-57D, and a total of 142 Su-34 fullbacks by the end of 2025. A new version of the interdiction bomber, the Su-34M, has also been introduced and reportedly incorporates lessons learned from the ongoing war.

According to the 2026 World Air Forces report, the combined fleet of Su-27, Su-30 and Su-35S stands at 384 airframes. The fleet of Tu-22M, Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers is 57, 47 and 15 respectively.

These are aircraft that Russia routinely uses in its operations in Ukraine, and consistent deliveries show that Russia’s defense industry is facing minor obstacles due to Western sanctions. The absence of Su-57s and a small number of A-50Us on the Ukrainian battlefield is offset by a large stockpile of tactical ballistic and cruise missiles numbering in the thousands.

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