New Tanker for the RFAF

Since my colleague wanted me to translate this I did...it goes with another article I did a while back about Ul'yanovsk building a pair of Il-96-400TZ aircraft (click here).  Those Il-96 were already built and spoken for, but then the deals fell through or they were just lying around, I see that more of a science project...and VASO is building them, not Aviastar.  This tanker, I think is more the real deal.

I'm also not sure if everyone realizes that Russia has never built an Il-78 (they were built in Tashkent at TAPO...which until very recently did Il-76/78 repairs, but there wasn't enough revenue).  This aircraft will also be modular to fulfill any sort of role...kind of interesting when you think about it, let's see if they actually build any.

In Ul'yanovsk, They are preparing a new tanker

At the Ul'yanovsk "Aviastar-SP" aviation factory, they pledged production of an experimental prototype of a perspective airborne tanker, Il-78M-90A.

They are preparing the aircraft by order of the MoD.  As clarified by the press-service of the "Aviation facility named after S. V. Il'yushin," this will be the first tanker which was produced in Russia.  All of the previous Il-78 were produced in Uzbekistan at TAPOiCh.

Il-78M-90A - a modified Il-76MD-90A, serial production is currently carried out in Ul'yanovsk.  The tanker will look almost exactly the same as the Il-76, the changes will only be noted by specialists.  Developers elaborated that, the new aircraft, according to the wishes of the buyer, must be able to sustain its usage as a regular military transport.  The tanker will have a ramp for dropping equipment, and when necessary, the aircraft can be fitted with firefighting gear or refuleing.  The last will include the internal capacity for a cargo cabin and the UPAZ.

Copyright michaeldec, Il-76MD-90A, 78650, serial # 001-02, flying at Moscow-Zhukovskiy (Ramenskoye)

If you want to get really dorky, the reason this aircraft does not have a RA- or RF- registration number is because ICAO does not require the country code on experimental aircraft...

78650...no country of registration

http://misanec.ru/2015/02/17/v-ulyanovske-soberut-novyj-samolet-toplivozapravshhik/

В Ульяновске соберут новый самолет -топливозаправщик

На ульяновском авиазаводе «Авиастар-СП» заложили в производство опытный образец перспективного самолета-топливозаправщика Ил-78М-90А.
Судно собирают по заказу Минобороны. Как уточнили в пресс-службе «Авиационного комплекса имени С.В. Ильюшина», это будет первый воздушный топливозаправщик, произведенный в России. Прежде все самолеты Ил-78 собирались в Узбекистане на ТАПОиЧ.

Ил-78М-90А — модификация самолета Ил-76МД-90А, серийное производство которого ведется сейчас в Ульяновске. Выглядеть топливозаправщик будет практически также, как модернизированный Ил-76 — разницу заметит лишь специалист. Разработчики пояснили, что новое воздушное судно, по пожеланию заказчика, должно сохранить возможность использования его в качестве военно-транспортного. Топливозаправщик будет иметь рампу, десантное оборудование, а, в случае необходимости, на самолете можно установить оборудование для пожаротушения и заправки. Последнее включает в себя дополнительные емкости для топлива внутри грузовой кабины и унифицированных подвесных агрегатов заправки