According to information published by Tass on April 21, 2022, four Il-38 and Il-38N antisubmarine aircraft of the combined air regiment in the Russian northeast flew for eight hours over the Pacific Ocean along the eastern coast of Kamchatka.
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Ilyushin Il-38N maritime patrol aircraft (Picture source: Russian MoD)
The aircraft released over 200 acoustic buoys in most likely routes of hostile submarines in neutral waters. The pilots flew in pairs at low altitudes and interacted with minesweepers.
The Ilyushin Il-38 "Dolphin" 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.
An aerodynamic prototype of the Il-38 first flew on 28 September 1961, with the first production aircraft following in September 1967. Production continued until 1972.
The airframe is based on the Il-18, with the wings moved forward 3 m (9.84 ft). Unlike the Il-18, only the forward fuselage of the Il-38 is pressurized. The tail contains a MAD, while under the forward fuselage a Berkut search radar is housed in a bulged radome. There are two internal weapons bays, one forward of the wing, housing sonobuoys, and one behind the wing housing weapons.
