In modern armed conflicts, airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft play a major role. In the 80s, the Antonov Design Bureau developed the An-71 project (based on the An-72) as an answer to the American AEW aircraft Hawkeye. However, it was closed due to the collapse of the USSR.
Work on this project began in 1983. It was expected that the An-71 would replace the outdated Tu-126 (the first Soviet carrier of electronic warfare equipment for long-range radar detection).
A rotating radar was installed on the tail fin of the aircraft. The antenna could simultaneously detect up to 12 ground and air targets at a distance of up to 400 km and an altitude of up to 30 km.
Characteristics of the An-71 AEW aircraft:
- Length — 23.5 m
- Wingspan — 31.89 m
- Maximum take-off weight — 32,100 kg
- Cruise engine — D-436K
- Acceleration engine — RD-38A
- Maximum speed — 650 km/h
- Practical ceiling altitude — 10,800 m
- Air patrol duration — 5 h
A total of 3 copies of the An-71 were built. The first successful flight of the AEW aircraft took place in July 1985. Serial production was supposed to begin in the 90s, but the project was closed due to lack of funding.
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