MOSCOW. Aug 1 (Interfax-AVN) - The final phase of preliminary certification of the Il-38N modernized to meet the specifications of the Russian Navy is nearing end.
"The preliminary certificate obtained based on the results of the flight tests will mean that the upgraded aircraft meets the requirements set, so that the initial batch of the aircraft may be built," Viktor Livanov, the Director General of the Ilyushin Aviation Complex, told Interfax-Military News Agency.
According to him, the Navy will start sending its maneuver units' aircraft to Ilyushin facilities for modernization as soon as the certificate is issued.
"The 2007 state defense order provides for assignations for modernization of the first batch of in-service Il-38s," Livanov said.
He added that the upgraded aircraft would have its Berkut automated sight and surveillance system replaced with the Novella one, developed by the Leninets holding company. The new system features a high-resolution radar, a TV/thermal imager, an infrared sensor unit, a radio/hydroacoustic system, a magnetometer and an electronic reconnaissance system, installed in the nose of the aircraft above the fuselage.
Novella can detect aerial targets at a range of 90 km, and surface targets at 320 km. It can simultaneously track up to 32 different targets.