You're reading: Ukraine wins contract to repair Pakistan’s aerial refueling tankers

UkrSpetsExport, an arms trade company affiliated with Ukraine’s state-run defense production giant UkrOboronProm, has won a contract to repair the Pakistani Air Force’s Ilyushin Il-78 aerial refueling aircraft.

The work is to be carried out by the Mykolaiv Aircraft Repair Plant, located in southern Ukraine, according to an UkrOboronProm statement published on June 4.

Should the repair work go well with the first refueling aircraft, the Pakistani government intends to strike another deal with the Ukrainian state company to repair two more Ilyushin Il-78s.

The total value of the contract to modernize the three aircraft is over $30 million, UkrOboronProm said.

“Executing this contract will allow us to provide a full workload for our aircraft repair enterprise and ensure an inflow of foreign currency revenue into Ukraine,” UkrSpetsExport Director Vadym Nozdrya said.

The Ilyushin Il-78 (NATO reporting name Midas) was designed for the Soviet Air Force in the early 1980s as a modern aerial tanker capable of refueling both large long-range aircraft, such as strategic bombers, and tactical air forces, such as fighters and attack jets, in the air during a flight. It was based on the famous Ilyushin Il-76MD airlifter.

The refueling plane’s modified Ilyushin Il-78M version is capable of transporting up to 35 tons of jet fuel a distance of 4,000 kilometers.

Over fifty Ilyushin Il-78s of various versions have been built since the 1980s. They are operated by the air forces of Russia, India, Pakistan, Algeria and China.

Ukraine, which used to host a regiment of Ilyushin Il-78s in the town of Uzyn south of Kyiv during the Soviet era, ceased operating these aircraft after independence.