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Ilyushin Il-78 Midas

Ilyushin · Aerial Refuelling Tanker / Aerial Refuelling · Russia · Cold War (1970–1991)

Ilyushin Il-78 Midas — Aerial Refuelling Tanker / Aerial Refuelling
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The Ilyushin Il-78 (NATO reporting name Midas) is a Soviet / Russian aerial-refuelling tanker — the Soviet equivalent of the U.S. KC-135 Stratotanker. Sergey Ilyushin's design bureau developed the Il-78 from the Ilyushin Il-76 long-range transport in 1981-1984; the prototype first flew on 26 June 1983. About 53 Il-78 airframes were built between 1984 and 1992 at Tashkent Aircraft Production Association. The aircraft serves Russian Aerospace Forces, Indian Air Force (as Il-78MKI), Pakistan Air Force (as Il-78MP), and Algerian Air Force tanker fleets through 2026.

The Il-78 retains the base Il-76's four Soloviev D-30KP turbofan engines (26,500 lbf each). Maximum speed 850 km/h, range 7,300 km, service ceiling 12,000 m. Maximum fuel-offload capacity: 105,000 kg (notably more larger than the U.S. KC-135's 90,000 kg). The aircraft uses the UPAZ-1 probe-and-drogue refuelling pod system — different from the U.S. flying-boom system. Three UPAZ-1 pods are mounted (one each wing-tip + one centreline) allowing simultaneous refuelling of 3 receiver aircraft.

Il-78 service is extensive across Russian Aerospace Forces long-range-bomber support (refuelling Tu-95 + Tu-160 long-range bombers + Su-34 + Su-35 + MiG-31 fighters) and ~3 export operators. Russian Aerospace Forces operates about 18 Il-78 / Il-78M airframes in 2026. Indian Air Force operates 6 Il-78MKI tankers for IAF Su-30MKI fighter refuelling. Pakistan Air Force operates 4 Il-78MP tankers for PAF F-16 + JF-17 fighter refuelling. Algerian Air Force operates 6 Il-78s. The type was used extensively in Russian operations in Syria (2015-present) and Ukraine (2022-present) for refuelling Russian Aerospace Forces strike aircraft.

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The Ilyushin Il-78 Midas is the Soviet and Russian aerial-refueling tanker. The Il-78 is built from the Il-76 transport. The Il-78 first flew on June 26, 1983. About 53 Il-78s were built between 1984 and 1992.

The Il-78 is 159 feet long with a 165-foot wingspan, longer than a Boeing 737. Four Soloviev D-30KP turbofan engines each make 26,500 pounds of thrust. Top speed is 528 mph, faster than most race cars. The plane can give 230,000 pounds of fuel to other planes.

The Il-78 uses 3 UPAZ-1 hose-and-drogue pods to refuel other planes: one on each wingtip and one in the middle under the body. This means 3 receiver planes can refuel at the same time. The American KC-135 uses a flying boom instead, refueling only 1 plane at a time.

Russia, India, Pakistan, and Algeria all fly Il-78s. The Russian Aerospace Forces use them to refuel Tu-160, Tu-95, and Tu-22M bombers on long missions. India's Il-78MKI and Pakistan's Il-78MP versions refuel Indian Su-30s and Pakistani F-16s. The Il-78 is one of the most-capable tanker designs in service.

Fun Facts

  • The Il-78 Midas is the Soviet and Russian aerial-refueling tanker.
  • The Il-78 is built from the Il-76 transport.
  • About 53 Il-78s were built between 1984 and 1992.
  • The Il-78 is 159 feet long, longer than a Boeing 737.
  • Top speed is 528 mph, faster than most race cars.
  • The Il-78 has 3 refueling pods, refueling 3 planes at once.
  • Russia, India, Pakistan, and Algeria fly Il-78s.

Kids’ Questions

Why 3 refueling pods?

The Il-78 has refueling pods on each wingtip and one under the body. Three receiver planes can refuel at the same time, one from each pod. This is faster than the American KC-135 (one plane at a time on the flying boom). The Soviet design lets a tanker support a whole fighter formation in one pass.

How is it different from a KC-135?

The Il-78 uses 3 hose-and-drogue pods; the American KC-135 uses 1 flying boom. The Il-78 can refuel 3 planes simultaneously; the KC-135 only one. The KC-135's boom is more rigid and easier to control, but the Il-78's pods can serve Navy and Marine planes with probes (the KC-135's boom only refuels Air Force planes). Each design has trade-offs.

Who else uses it?

India has 6 Il-78MKI tankers, used to refuel Su-30MKI fighters and Tu-22M3 bombers. Pakistan has 4 Il-78MPs for refueling F-16s and JF-17s. Algeria has 6 Il-78s for its Russian-supplied fighter fleet. China has 3 Il-78s for refueling Su-30 and J-20 fighters. The Il-78 is widely exported.

Variants

Il-78 (basic)
Original 1984-1989 production. About 30 built. Three UPAZ-1 probe-and-drogue refuelling pods.
Il-78M (improved)
Improved variant with longer range + upgraded refuelling pods. About 23 built 1989-1992.
Il-78MKI (Indian)
Indian Air Force variant. 6 built 2003-2005. Israeli Aircraft Industries-modified refuelling pods compatible with Su-30MKI.
Il-78MP (Pakistani)
Pakistan Air Force variant. 4 delivered 2009-2010.

Notable Operators

Russian Aerospace Forces
Lead operator. About 18 Il-78 / Il-78M tankers in active service 2026. Supports Russian long-range bombers + fighters.
Indian Air Force
6 Il-78MKI tankers. IAF refuelling Su-30MKI + Mirage 2000 + Jaguar fleets.
Pakistan Air Force
4 Il-78MP tankers. PAF refuelling F-16 + JF-17 fleets.
Algerian Air Force
6 Il-78 tankers. Algerian Su-30MKA refuelling support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Il-78 the Soviet KC-135?

Roughly comparable. Both are four-engine jet tankers based on existing transport airframes. The Il-78 is based on the Il-76 transport; the U.S. KC-135 is based on the Boeing 367-80 (precursor to the Boeing 707). Performance: Il-78 has slightly larger fuel-offload capacity (105 tonnes vs. 90 tonnes). Key difference: Il-78 uses probe-and-drogue refuelling (3 pods); KC-135 uses flying-boom refuelling. Both perform the same alliance-bloc tanker support role.

Why probe-and-drogue instead of flying boom?

Soviet doctrine. Soviet Air Forces fighter and bomber aircraft were universally designed with probe-and-drogue refuelling probes; the U.S. Air Force standardised on flying-boom for KC-135. Each system has different in-service advantages — flying-boom transfers fuel faster (4,500 kg/min vs. 2,800 kg/min for probe-and-drogue), but probe-and-drogue allows simultaneous refuelling of 3 receivers from one tanker (vs. 1 at a time for flying-boom). The Soviet/Russian doctrine values multi-receiver refuelling.

How many Il-78s are in service?

About 34 active airframes worldwide in 2026. Russian Aerospace Forces ~18 + Indian Air Force 6 + Pakistan Air Force 4 + Algerian Air Force 6. Production at Tashkent stopped in 1992 with the Soviet collapse; Russian aviation strategy is to upgrade existing airframes rather than build new ones (the Il-78MK-90 upgraded variant has been mooted but not built in series).

Has the Il-78 seen combat use?

Yes — extensively in Russian Aerospace Forces operations. Russian Il-78s have refuelled strike aircraft over Syria (2015+) and Ukraine (2022+). Indian Air Force Il-78MKIs flew refuelling missions during the 2019 Balakot strikes (refuelling Mirage 2000 strike aircraft for the cross-border strike). The aircraft's long-range value as a force-multiplier makes it a high-priority target for adversaries; one Indian Il-78MKI was reportedly close to being shot down during 2019 India-Pakistan tensions but survived.

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