Major General Vladimir Popov, a worthy Russian Federation soldier pilot, told the Zvijezda television station that the latest plane Il-96-300PU of Russian President Vladimir Putin would be drastically different from the previous one.

Vladimir Putin will get a new presidential aircraft, at least according to the preliminary results of the Il-96-300PU checks. Why does Russia use this particular aircraft, and what are its characteristics in terms of onboard life, communications, and security? Few people today may claim to have flown in an Il-96. The production of these widebody long-range aircraft was limited to only 25 units. The majority were designed specifically for Rossiya Airlines, which transports the president and government officials.

In reality, Vladimir Putin is the only person who has flown the Il-96-300PU both domestically and internationally (before the pandemic). How is it that the president has full faith in his plane when airlines have abandoned this class of aircraft?

During the tests, the Il-96 flew from Moscow to Petropavlovsk-Kamtchatsky and back, covering 14,800 kilometers in 18 hours and 9 minutes. The airliner flew to Singapore, New York, Tokyo, Havana, and a number of other destinations with great success. The Il-96, according to one of its first pilots, deserved a better fate: the Russian plane should have spawned a whole line of Russian planes.

Russia’s Biggest Presidential aircraft completes its maiden flight

According to Popov, the deployed force system and means of monitoring the airspace around the aircraft have been greatly enhanced. The Il-96-300PU is fitted with radio radar, radio engineering, optoelectronic, and visual control. “The plane has four engines. If two fail, the aircraft can continue to rise and fall, maneuver and fly,” the pilot said. It is known that a presidential plane can travel 800 kilometres on one engine and land safely at the airport.

You should be aware that the Il-96-300PU is a mode of transportation for a nuclear power’s leader. And the president must be mindful of all developments relating to the country’s security and be able to make decisions at any time based on the circumstances, even going so far as to hit the “red button.” The detailed information on this aircraft’s interior system is classified as top secret. The president clearly has all appropriate communication channels at his disposal, including satellite and other communication channels that allow messages to be transmitted with a special encrypted code at any altitude anywhere in the world.