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Air ForcesRussia

II-38 (May)

Anti-submarine warfare aircraftFielded 1967Pending verification
Air ForcesRUS
Length 39.6 m
Identification silhouette. Not drawn to scale between entries.
Fact cardConfidence · Source
System
TypeAnti-submarine warfare aircraft
Date of introduction1967
ProliferationAt least 3 countries
ManufacturerIlyushin OKB, Moscow, RussiaMed[1]
Crew12Med[1]
Dimensions and weight
Length39.6 m130 ftMed[1]
Height10.16 m33 ftMed[1]
Wingspan37.4 m123 ftMed[1]
Wing area140 sq mMed[1]
Empty weight36,000 kg79,366 lbMed[1]
Max takeoff weight63,500 kg139,993 lbMed[1]
Flight performance
Engine4 x Ivchenko AI-20MMed[1]
Thrust / power4,250 shaft hp eachMed[1]
Speed720 km/h447 mph · 389 ktMed[1]
Range7,200 km4,474 mi · 3,888 nmiMed[1]
Landing run850 mMed[1]
Endurance13 hoursMed[1]
Armament and payload
HardpointsInternal bomb bayMed[1]
Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Aircraft: asw suiteMagnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD) SystemMed[1]
Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Aircraft: sonobuoysThe Il-38 can carry and drop a variety of sonobuoys. These include up to 144 small RGB-1 radio beacons, 10 RGB-2 passive sonobuoys and 3 RBG-3 or RGB-16 sonobuoys with active/passive sonar.Med[1]
Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Aircraft: torpedoes450mm AT-1; 533mm AT-2; 400mm AT-3 Orlan (air launched UMGT-1); APR-1 Kondor rocket torpedo; APR-2 Yastreb rocket torpedoMed[1]
Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Aircraft: minesAMD-2Med[1]
Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Aircraft: depth chargesPLAB-50; PLAB-250-120; PL-250-120Med[1]
ArmamentR-73 (AA-11 Archer)Med[1]
Fire control
Surface / Search Radar1 x Wet Eye surface searchMed[1]
Variants
Il-38Production aircraft[1]
Il-38MModified with a receiver probe as part of a probe and drogue air refueling system. System not adopted.[1]
Il-38MZTanker variant of the Il-38. Prototype only[1]
Il-38NThis is an upgraded variant that is fitted with the Novella sensor system; see main entry. Improved variant sometimes referred to as Il-38SD for Sea Dragon, which is a new search and tracking system.[1]
Weapons and payload options · 1Confidence · Source
R-73 (AA-11 Archer)Air-to-Air Missile
Med[1]
Range
30 km19 mi · 16 nmi
Type
Air-to-Air Missile
Guidance
All-aspect infrared homing
Speed
Mach 2.5
Length
2.93 m
Summary

II-38 (May) Russian Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Aircraft is a maritime patrol aircraft and anti-submarine warfare aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It was a development of the Ilyushin Il-18 turboprop transport.

Draft entry. Values come from the cited public sources and are awaiting editor verification.
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Operators
IndiaRussiaUkraine
Sources
  1. II-38 (May) Russian Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Aircraft, U.S. Army TRADOC G-2 Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN)
    Published/updated 2026-03-20 · Tier 1 · checked 2026-10-10
Change log
  • 2026-10-10 Entry created from the Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN), bulk import