A new Russian A-100 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft has made its first flight undergoing a new stage of prior test flights. The A-100 a modified variant of the IL-76MD-90A (Ilyushin) strategic airlifter. According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the aircraft is equipped with a digital navigation system and digital control systems in the glass cockpit, along with a new two-band locator with phased antenna array manufactured by the Vega Radio Engineering Corporation. The A-100 first took off on 18 November 2017 to test aerodynamic characteristics, avionics and aerial target equipment. “There are about 20 tons of unique electronic equipment onboard this aircraft. The new generation of flying radars combines the most advanced developments in the field of aviation, radar ranging and information technologies. Only a few countries in the world produce such aviation systems, while the level of the newest Russian complex can be considered unsurpassed”, stated Director of Rostec's Aviation Cluster Anatoly Serdyukov.