New Russian tanker aircraft rolls out, Algeria contract cited

Footage has emerged showing the rollout of a new Il-78MK-90A aerial refueling tanker, apparently built in export configuration, according to posts circulating on Russian social media and aviation channels.

Social media users have claimed the aircraft was built under an export contract to supply 20 Il-78 tankers to China, but The Defence Blog could not independently verify that claim, and aviation analysts and insider sources have disputed it. Instead, some of the same sources point to a separate, confirmed customer: Algeria, which has signed a contract for three new Il-78 tankers with an option for three more.

That agreement falls under a broader modernization package for the Algerian air force that also includes Su-34  strike aircraft, Su-35 and Su-57 fighter jets, according to Russian aviation reporting. Algeria became the first foreign operator of the Su-57E export variant, with the United Aircraft Corporation confirming in November 2025 that it had delivered the first two aircraft to the customer. Algerian Su-35s have also been photographed in service, and the country has separately taken delivery of Su-34ME strike aircraft under contracts first reported in 2019.

The Il-78MK-90A is the export version of Russia’s newest tanker, built on the airframe of the Il-76MD-90A military transport. The aircraft is powered by four PS-90A-76 engines, has a maximum takeoff weight of around 210 tons, and can transfer up to 78 tons of fuel in flight depending on the mission profile. It can refuel one heavy aircraft or two tactical aircraft simultaneously through three refueling points, and can service up to four aircraft on the ground. The tanker can also be reconfigured for cargo transport, with reports from manufacturer Rosoboronexport describing convertible variants for firefighting and medical transport roles.

Assembly of the Il-78M-90A series takes place at the Aviastar-SP plant in Ulyanovsk, the same facility that builds the Il-76MD-90A transport. Russia’s Ministry of Defense signed its first serial production contract for ten Il-78M-90A tankers for domestic use in 2020, following the type’s first flight in January 2018.

Neither Rosoboronexport nor Russian state media has confirmed the specific customer or contract tied to the newly rolled-out aircraft.