Russian military suffers major setback as faulty bearings ground a quarter of Il-76MD-90A fleet
In a stunning revelation, Russian media sources have reported that the Russian Armed Forces have lost a quarter of their Il-76MD-90A fleet due to substandard bearings, reports the Russian newspaper Kommersant. The five lost planes each cost nearly 4 billion rubles ($46 million. This has also showed the inability of Russia’s defense industry to fulfill state orders, leading to a significant reduction in the order volume.
Russian investigators have launched a criminal case against executives of the defense company, JSC "Balashikha Casting and Mechanical Plant" (BLMZ). It was discovered that the plant used bearings from an unknown supplier in the wheels of the modernized Il-76 military transport aircraft. Consequently, the Russian armed forces lost a significant number of aircraft designated for transporting military cargo.
Journalists, citing their sources, disclosed that several BLMZ leaders are suspected of committing an offense under Article 201.1 of the Russian Criminal Code for "disrupting state defense orders" according to Kommersant. Their actions led to the loss of five state-of-the-art Il-76MD-90A aircraft from an 18-plane fleet, causing considerable damage to the interests of the state, represented by the Ministry of Defense.
From 2017 to 2022, BLMZ reportedly purchased bearings of unknown origin to install on the Il-76MD-90A's KT199 wheels. To cover their tracks, they falsified technical documents, claiming the bearings came from JSC "Samara Bearing Plant" and had their quality validated by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The news outlet "Important Stories" adds detailed insights into the manipulations by Russian manufacturers. They explained that wheels with subpar bearings were directed to the "Aviastar" plant , which had an agreement with the Russian Ministry of Defense to produce 39 Il-76MD-90As by 2018. Due to the inability to fulfill the original contract, the terms were amended, and the updated agreement scheduled 13 planes for delivery by 2021 and another 12 by 2028.
The Il-76MD-90A is a deeply modernized iteration of the Il-76 aircraft, featuring lighter wings, a new engine from "ODK Perm Motors," an updated navigation system, and reinforced landing gear.
Analytical portal ORYX provides an account of the number of Il-76 aircraft lost by Russian forces since the beginning of the conflict.
In a separate incident, a Russian Il-76 disintegrated during takeoff at the "Severny" airfield in March 2024, resulting in the death of all 14 crew members due to an alleged engine fire.
On July 18, a military analyst updated the status of operational aircraft in the Russian Armed Forces, indicating approximately 850 active. Meanwhile, "StratCom AFU" shared a map detailing the destruction of Russian aircraft in the first months of 2024.