Ilyushin Il-80: Russia's 'Flying Kremlin' Built To Survive A Doomsday Scenario

Like the legendary Air Force One, some global leaders have access to a few very special aircraft. They're not high-speed jets to rival the SR-71 Blackbird; their primary focus is to keep the upper echelons safe. One very prominent example is Russia's enigmatic Ilyushin Il 80.

In January 2023, the ever-ominous Doomsday Clock was moved just 90 seconds from midnight, reported BBC News. It would seem humanity, then, is sneaking ever closer to its own destruction. What this means, of course, is that contingency plans for the very worst situations that may face the human race are vital. Naturally, for leaders, these plans are rather more robust. Should it be required, theoretically, the Ilyushin Il 80 may serve as an airborne command base. The original created by Sergey V. Ilyushin in 1933, the company's Il-2, Il-4, and others distinguished themselves during World War II, and from the Il-12 onwards, Ilyushin became notable as a manufacturer of commercial aircraft too.

Here's what the mysterious aircraft is capable of, the story of its design, and what its role could potentially be if the worst should happen.

Ilyushin is a big name in global aviation. Curiously, one of the company's passenger planes would eventually be adapted into the Ilyushin Il-80, potentially one of the most significant military aircraft the world has ever seen.

The Il-86 was the result of the Soviet Union's desire for a larger-capacity airliner to add to its arsenal. In 1969, production began and it became something of a competitor for the venerable Boeing 747, also boasting four engines and space for roughly up to 350, according to Simple Flying. More than 100 of the aircraft served until production ended in the 1990s, but those that remain in use have a very different function today.

In 1985, the Il-80 made what was seemingly its first appearance in the world's skies, according to Interesting Engineering. An Il-86 modified into a sort of mobile command center, this formidable aircraft is a very different beast.

The Il-80 was adapted from a passenger aircraft in a manner that befits its distinctly ominous purpose. In the region of the cockpit, it boasts a device for refueling, and there are also generators for the engines elsewhere on its body and sophisticated monitoring equipment. The concept is quite straightforward, then: The Il-80 is intended to be rather self-sufficient, enabling its operators to continue their work regardless of what's happening in the outside world. Its only windows are in the cockpit, and they're shielded against the likes of bright explosions — in case something utterly terrible is happening down on the ground.

The so-called "Flying Kremlin" is an imposing sight, which is surely part of the reason that it made a rare appearance in the skies of Moscow in May 2022, according to Metro. In the future, the defensive capabilities of such aircraft could be truly formidable. The fact that it was a former passenger aircraft doesn't mean it should be underestimated, as such aircraft are capable of astonishing things too. In fact, the Aerion AS3TM can reach Mach 4 and beyond.