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 On 25 March 2014, the factory airfield of Beriev company hosted the ceremony of handing over another upgraded A-50U (side number 37) airborne warning and control aircraft to the Russian Air Force. An Air Force crew accepted the aircraft and ferried it successfully from Taganrog to its permanent station - Ivanovo-Severny AFB. By the Defence Ministry's consent, the aircraft had been named after Sergei Atayants in memory of the aircraft's chief designer who led the development of the A-50.
Beriev's and the Vega radio engineering corporation's joint efforts to upgrade the A-50 aircraft fleet in service with RusAF to A-50U standard commenced in 2008.
Emphasis was placed upon the transition the airborne radar system to advanced electronic componentry. The workstations of the systems operators have been heavily upgraded and a sophisticated communication suite has been installed. In addition, unlike the baseline model, the A-50U has sleeping quarters for the crew, a galley and a lavatory.
It is the aircraft bearing side number 37 that was first converted to A-50U standard in Taganrog. It was used both for the ground tests of the upgraded radar system and for the flight trials. The RusAF commander-in-chief signed the A-50U official joint test report on 29 November 2009 and thus gave the nod to the kickoff of the upgrade of the production-standard planes.
The upgrade of RusAF's in-service A-50s to A-50U was started with the aircraft serialled 47 (it was redelivered to RusAF in 2011). The next A-50U (serial 33) was upgraded in 2013. The first A-50U prototype (serial 37) remained in Taganrog after its official test programme had been completed. It has been delivered to RusAF, too, following the overhaul of its radar system and the latter's modification to the production-standard configuration.
Thus, the Russian Air Force now flies as many as three A-50Us, while Beriev is awaiting another combat-unit A-50 for upgrade.
(Photo: Beriev company)
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