Russian industry is increasing the production of heavy Il-76 military transport aircraft in the modern Il-76MD-90A modification. Technosphere Russia estimated how many such aircraft had been built in the country by the beginning of 2026.
It should be noted that the machines are fundamentally different from the Soviet Il-76s, which were mass-produced in Tashkent. More than 70% of the systems and assemblies have been replaced in the design, and the maximum payload has increased from 40 to 60 tons.
According to foreign sources and various registers of manufactured machines, as of the beginning of 2026, the Military Transport Aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces operated up to 200 Il-76s, including Il-78 tankers and 37 new Il-76MD-90As built in Ulyanovsk. At least 40-50 more aircraft are in storage.
The production of Il-76MD-90A was launched in Ulyanovsk in the conditions of a virtually restored cooperation from scratch. Stable production began in 2018.
In 2019 and 2020, three Il-76MD-90As were delivered to the military each year, and in 2021, two aircraft were delivered against the backdrop of the launch of a new assembly line.
Then the pace only increased - five machines in 2022, six in 2023 and 2024, seven in 2025. In total, 37 new Il-76MD-90As were built in Ulyanovsk by the beginning of 2026.
