Russia's head of state Vladimir Putin has arrived in the capital of India on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself went to receive the Russian President at the Palam Airport, Delhi. President Putin will be attending the 23rd India-Russia Summit and will be visiting India for two days. On 4 December evening his plane touched down in Delhi.
President Putin entered the Indian airspace in his mysterious yet heavily fortified aircraft Ilyushin IL-96-300PU, also known as the 'Flying Kremlin' or the 'Doomsday Plane'. Equipped with top-of-the-line modern avionics, communication systems, and countermeasures against enemy attacks, making it one of its kind aircraft to keep the Russian leader safe in a possible armageddon scenario. The last two letters of its name stand for 'Punkt Upravleniya' or 'Command Point'.
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What makes the Ilyushin IL-96-300PU the 'Flying Kremlin'
Developed by the Ilyushin Design Bureau in the 80s, near the end of the Cold War. A total of five Il-96s have been modified and turned into Presidential aircraft. The plane first took flight in 1988 and officially entered service in 1990.
Long-range capability
Powered by four Aviadvigatel PS-90A turbofan engines, the aircraft is built on a long-range, widebody platform. The mammoth engines give the plane a special advantage to travel almost 11,000 kilometres without needing to refuel on its route.
Blast protection
Unlike a traditional aircraft, the aircraft includes limited windows. This prevents the shattering of glass windows during a nuclear blast or any other fatal explosion, keeping the leader safe from any kind of harm's way.
Unlimited time in the air
The flying fortress is capable of aerial refuelling. Which means the aircraft can be refuelled while it is airborne. This ensures that the Presidential plane can stay in the air as long as needed.
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Encrypted airborne communications
The aircraft is fitted with a special communication unit. It allows the President to establish safe and encrypted communication under any weather conditions, making it very handy for the President to issue orders while the aircraft is airborne.
Defence mechanisms
The doomsday plane has advanced defensive countermeasures such as radar-jamming technology and has been developed to an extent to withstand electromagnetic pulse attacks that are capable of frying the regular plane's electronics system, responsible for flight operations. According to reports, the aircraft also employs modern anti-missile systems to defend itself against enemy attacks.
In the time of extreme emergency, the plane provides the President with the ability to launch nuclear strikes from inside the aircraft
The plane also comes with all kinds of facilities, from a presidential suite, private bathrooms, conference room, private office, kitchen and dining area, gym area, medical facilities and everything else that the President requires. The main purpose of the aircraft is to keep all of the Russian leadership off the ground in a worst-case scenario and keep the country running.
