Aircraft & UAVs

Beriev A-100LL flying laboratory/testbed

Also known as
  • A-100LL
  • Beriev A-100LL
  • A-100 flying laboratory
  • A-100LL flying laboratory
  • RF-93953
  • 52 red
  • Premier-476

The Beriev A-100LL was a Russian flying laboratory converted from an A-50 airframe to test elements of the A-100 Premier airborne early warning and control mission system before the Il-76MD-90A-based A-100 prototype took over flight testing. Open sources identify it as aircraft RF-93953, red 52, used for ground and flight checks of radio-equipment integration, electromagnetic compatibility, and data-exchange modes rather than as an operational combat aircraft.

Beriev A-100LL flying laboratory/testbed, Airborne early warning and control testbed aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs
Image source: Wikimedia Commons A-100 Image
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Russia
Built by
Beriev
Type
Airborne early warning and control testbed aircraft
Service note
2010s Russian A-100 Premier test program
Designer
Beriev Aircraft Company with A-100 mission-system work associated with Vega Concern
Designed
A-100 program work began under mid-2000s Russian development contracts; A-100LL flight testing began in 2016
Produced
One converted A-50 airframe used as the A-100LL flying laboratory
Number built
One A-100LL flying laboratory identified in open sources
Developed from
Beriev A-50
Developed into
Beriev A-100 Premier

Specifications

Role
Flying laboratory and A-100 Premier mission-system testbed
Base airframe
Converted Beriev A-50 / Il-76-family airframe
Reported registration
RF-93953
Reported bort number
52 red
Program
Premier-476 / A-100 airborne radar surveillance and control complex
Mission equipment focus
Selected radio-technical complex elements, electromagnetic compatibility, and data-exchange protocols
Operational armament
None reported; special-mission test equipment only
Follow-on platform
Il-76MD-90A-based A-100 Premier prototype
Program Lineage And Platforms

The A-100LL sits between the Soviet/Russian A-50 airborne early warning aircraft and the later Il-76MD-90A-based A-100 Premier prototype. TASS, Testpilot.ru, and GlobalSecurity describe the laboratory as a converted A-50/Il-76-family airframe used to evaluate A-100 radio-technical equipment, while Rostec and TASS describe the follow-on A-100 aircraft as moving that mission system toward the modernized Il-76 family platform.

Converted testbed

A-50-derived aircraft identified as red 52 and RF-93953 in open aviation reporting.

Follow-on aircraft

A-100 Premier prototype based on the Il-76MD-90A, with Beriev airframe work and Vega/Ruselectronics mission equipment.

Catalog treatment

The laboratory is linked as development context rather than as an operational combat aircraft because direct conflict-use evidence is not available.

What The Laboratory Tested

The A-100LL's value was as a development aircraft for the A-100 Premier mission system, not as a deployable AEW&C platform. Source descriptions emphasize radio-equipment checks, electromagnetic compatibility, airframe integration, and information-exchange modes that could be evaluated in flight before full A-100 testing moved to the Il-76MD-90A-based prototype.

Testbed airframe

Converted A-50 airframe identified as red 52 / RF-93953 in open aviation reporting.

Program role

Supported the Premier-476/A-100 radio-technical complex by checking selected equipment and electromagnetic compatibility in real flight conditions.

Combat status

No direct combat use is sourced; this entry is therefore treated as a relationship-only testbed page.

Variants

Open sources distinguish the A-100LL laboratory from the later A-100 Premier prototype: the laboratory used a converted A-50 airframe for equipment and compatibility trials, while the A-100 aircraft moved the mission system to the Il-76MD-90A platform with its operational radome configuration.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
A-100 PremierIl-76MD-90A-based AEW&C prototype

Rostec describes the A-100 aircraft as an Il-76MD-90A-based airborne early warning and control complex with Vega radio equipment, a radome, and later radar-on flight testing.

Sources: Rostec A-100 Radar Flight

Timeline

Beriev A-100LL flying laboratory/testbed Key Events

  1. Il-76MD-90A airframe sent to Taganrog for A-100 work

    Testpilot.ru says the first serial Il-76MD-90A was transferred to the Taganrog aircraft plant for installation of the equipment complex and testing of the first A-100 copy.

    Sources: Testpilot A-100

  2. A-100LL first flight

    TASS reported that the A-100LL flying laboratory made its first flight as part of flight tests, and Testpilot.ru records the same Taganrog first-flight date for the converted A-50-based laboratory.

    Sources: TASS A-100LL First Flight, Testpilot A-100

  3. Premier radio equipment tested in flight

    GlobalSecurity, citing Vega leadership, describes the A-100LL as flying with Premier radio-complex equipment in real flight conditions after ground preparation.

    Sources: GlobalSecurity A-100 Mainstay

  4. A-100 prototype first flight

    Testpilot.ru says the multifunctional A-100 radar watch and guidance aircraft first flew from Taganrog, checking aerodynamic characteristics, avionics, and parts of the radio-technical complex.

    Sources: TASS A-100 Debut Flight, Testpilot A-100

  5. A-100 radar-on flight milestone

    Rostec announced a first flight of the A-100 with onboard radio equipment turned on, describing normal operation of special equipment and aircraft systems under high-intensity electromagnetic conditions.

    Sources: Rostec A-100 Radar Flight

  6. A-100LL reportedly destroyed at Taganrog

    The Aviationist and Defense Express reported that satellite imagery and cross-referenced historical imagery indicated the A-100LL testbed, red 52 / RF-93953, was destroyed during a Ukrainian strike on Beriev's Taganrog facility.

    Sources: The Aviationist Taganrog Testbeds, Defense Express A-100LL Taganrog

Related Weapon Systems
Beriev Be-200, Amphibious support aircraft, Support EquipmentSupport EquipmentBeriev Be-200Amphibious support aircraftThe Beriev Be-200 is a Russian jet-powered amphibious flying boat designed for firefighting, search-and-rescue, patrol, cargo, and passenger support missions. UAC describes the Be-200ChS as a serial-production amphibious jet able to scoop and drop 12 tonnes of water, while Russian naval aviation reporting places military rescue-configured Be-200 aircraft at the Yeysk naval training center before Ukraine later reported destroying a Russian Be-200 there during the Russia-Ukraine War.
Il-22 airborne command post, Airborne command post and radio-relay aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsIl-22 airborne command postAirborne command post and radio-relay aircraftThe Il-22 airborne command post is a Soviet Il-18D-derived special-mission aircraft used for airborne command, protected communications, and radio-relay work. The Il-22M-11 "Zebra" and later upgraded aircraft remain scarce Russian command-and-control assets, and public reporting during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War documents Il-22M aircraft damaged in 2022 and again during the January 2024 Sea of Azov A-50/Il-22 incident.

Sources

TASS A-100LL First FlightPublisher: TASS | Note: Supports the A-100LL first-flight date, A-50/Il-76 basis, testbed role for A-100 radio-technical-complex elements, electromagnetic compatibility, information-exchange protocols, and later transfer of A-100 equipment to Il-76MD-90A-based Premier aircraft. | Accessed: 2026-07-05TASS A-100 Debut FlightPublisher: TASS | Note: Supports the 18 November 2017 A-100 maiden-flight milestone and the first-flight checks of aerodynamic characteristics, avionics, and radio-technical-complex elements. | Accessed: 2026-07-05Testpilot A-100Publisher: Testpilot.ru | Note: Supports A-100/A-100LL program chronology, A-100LL airframe identity, red 52/serial 69-05 designation, A-50 conversion basis, and stated testbed purposes. | Accessed: 2026-07-05Rostec A-100 Radar FlightPublisher: Rostec | Note: Supports A-100 program background, Beriev and Vega/Ruselectronics participation, Il-76MD-90A platform basis, radio-equipment flight-test milestone, and A-100 mission-role description. | Accessed: 2026-07-05GlobalSecurity A-100 MainstayPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports A-100LL use as a flying laboratory for A-100 element and electromagnetic-compatibility tests, the A-50 conversion basis, and transfer of A-100 equipment to the Il-76MD-90A-based platform. | Accessed: 2026-07-05TWZ A-100 Radar-On FlightPublisher: The War Zone | Note: Supports secondary reporting on the A-100 radar-on flight, Beriev conversion role, Vega mission-system role, and uncertainty around operational fielding timelines. | Accessed: 2026-07-05The Aviationist Taganrog TestbedsPublisher: The Aviationist | Note: Supports the 2025 Taganrog testbed-destruction context and identifies the A-100LL as red 52 / RF-93953, a one-of-a-kind A-100 program testbed without the full A-100 radome fitted. | Accessed: 2026-07-05Defense Express A-100LL TaganrogPublisher: Defense Express | Note: Supports the 2025 Taganrog strike context, satellite-image identification of the destroyed airframe as the A-100LL rather than a standard Il-76, RF-93953/red 52 identity, and the distinction between the A-100LL testbed and the A-100 Premier prototype. | Accessed: 2026-07-05Wikimedia Commons A-100 ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports the gallery image choice for the A-100 program prototype; the file page identifies the aircraft as an Il-76MD-90A-based Russian AEW&C aircraft and lists a CC BY-SA 4.0 license. | Accessed: 2026-07-05