Russian 'Doomsday' Plane's Radio Equipment Stolen by Thieves
upstart writes in with an IRC submission for c0lo:
Russian 'doomsday' plane's radio equipment stolen by thieves:
Reports say unknown thieves broke into the Ilyushin Il-80 plane at an airfield in the southern region of Rostov.
It is unclear when the incident took place, but 39 units of equipment and five radio boards were taken.
[...] Military experts say the aircraft is one of four Il-80s designed to be used as airborne command posts for Russian officials, including the president, in the event of a nuclear conflict. Interfax news agency describes them as among Russia's most classified aircraft.
[...] Interfax said the Ilyushin Il-80 aircraft had been undergoing scheduled repairs since the beginning of 2019.
All equipment had been intact at the last inspection on 26 November, according to broadcaster Ren-TV, which first reported the break-in. Investigators took fingerprints and shoeprints from inside the aircraft, Ren-TV added.
[...] In the event of a nuclear war, the Russian president would board the aircraft, where they could order the launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles and make other strategic decisions.
With no external windows except in the cockpit, the aircraft are designed to have some protection from the effects of a nuclear blast.
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