Silt-38Н: to find the invisible being

Modernized by Aviation complex of S. V. Ilyushin anti-submarine Il-38Н planes arrived on arms of Sea aircraft of the Pacific fleet of Russia.

Planes are based on air bases Yelizovo (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky) and Nikolaevka (Primorsky Krai). The staff of air bases passed a pereuchivaniye on new type of aviation equipment and began flights with home airfields. Pereuchivaniye passed in the Center of fighting application and a pereuchivaniye of flight structure of sea aircraft of the Navy of Russia in Yeysk where the first is maintained modernized by Aviation complex of S. V. Ilyushin the anti-submarine Il-38Н plane.

The chief of aircraft of the Pacific fleet colonel Sergey Gennadevich Rasskazov specified that modernization which consisted in installation on planes of new search and aim system «the Short story – P-38», considerably expanded volume of tasks solved by planes and their fighting possibilities. By its assessment, search possibilities of the plane qualitatively improved and increased several times in comparison with base Il-38. There was a possibility of application of radio acoustic buoys of new generation, the station of radio-electronic investigation, a teplovizor working in an infra-red and visible range was in addition included in structure of the equipment of the plane.

By means of new search and aim system the upgraded plane can successfully solve problems of patrol, search and destruction of submarines, radio-electronic supervision over surface and air targets, statements of mine obstacles, search and rescue of people on the sea, and also environmental monitoring of a surface of the water.

In coordination with command of Sea aircraft, to the fifth upgraded plane it was appropriated Feodor Zolotukhin’s name, the chief designer of search and aim system «the Short story – P-38» with which Il-38Н planes are equipped.

According to the commander of the 859th Center of fighting application and a pereuchivaniye of flight structure of sea aircraft of the Navy of Russia of major general Alexey Serdyuk, search productivity Il-38 increased four times. One updated plane can carry out of a task on the area four times exceeding the former area of works Il-38. There is a possibility to spend technical investigation, to give out targetings. The plane glider quite allows to carry out of a task in a distant and near sea zone.

The mass production of Il-38 planes began in 1967 and proceeded till 1972. For this period at plant "Work banner" 65 cars were constructed.

The plane fuselage in length of 40 meters comes to an end with a tail beam from a metal and not magnetic part in length of 5,60 m. The special equipment and arms caused of considerable change of a glider of the plane in comparison with Il-18Д (position of a wing displaced on 4 frames forward). Thanks to it, in a compartment of arms it became possible to place the torpedoes having considerable length. In a nasal part of the plane under a cabin of crew placed a fairing of powerful search RLS. In a terminal part of a fuselage behind tail plumage in the long cook established the sensor of the detector of magnetic anomalies.

The maximum diameter of a fuselage – 3,5 m. Crew – seven people: commander of the ship, assistant to the commander of the ship, navigator-navigator, navigator-operator, navigator-operator of the plane reception and display device (SPIU), onboard engineer, radio operator.

For illumination of the submarine the hydroacoustic station is used. Hydroacoustic buoys and the developed antenna lattice of ADS find the submarine in a multistatic mode. Besides a hydrolocation, the boat can be found three tens various physical fields and caused by operations of the boat of the phenomena. The corresponding sensors trace changes in a natural background of the environment which are called by ship presence. For example, as a result of passing of the boat pressure of water changes, the wave of the increased hydrostatic pressure that can be easily fixed is formed. Seismic sensors can trace caused by passing of the submarine of fluctuation of a seabed (the boat puts pressure upon water, and that in turn upon a seabed). Because of passing of the boat illumination of an underwater bottom, a magnetic field, a gravitational field of Earth change. At last, from the satellite under certain conditions it is possible to see a wave trace of the boat even if it goes deeply under water. Modern systems of anti-submarine fight use the whole complex of means of search.

Modernization of early Il-38 versions to level Il-38Н is quite reasonable. In NATO still on arms age-mates Il-38 – R-3C Orion. They, as before, accompany exits of the Russian ships in swimming.

Today search, detection, support and destruction of modern submarines does not demand big speeds. Silt-38 has action radius in 2,2 thousand km. and it is quite enough of it, that patrolling near the coast, to conduct investigation.

In case the boat or group of the ships is found by other means of fleet, Il-38 will appear in this point earlier and can independently begin prosecution or even attack to the purpose or the whole group of the purposes. It quite possesses such possibilities.

For operation all the time the Il-38 Plane proved as unpretentious, reliable and rather economic car.

The Ministry of Defence of Russia made the decision on complete modernization of park of the anti-submarine Il-38 planes being on arms. It was declared by the commander of Sea aircraft the general the major of aircraft Igor Kozhin: –
«The conclusion of the contract is now discussed. It is impossible to call exact figure, but all park will be modernized».

For today the Aviation complex of S. V. Ilyushin finished performance of the state contract on repair and serial modernization of the first party of anti-submarine Il-38 planes of Sea aircraft of Navy of Russia to level Il-38Н. The new contract is signed with the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation on modernization of the next party of anti-submarine Il-38 planes of Sea aircraft of Navy of Russia.