Ilyushin Il-28
Country of origin
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
ManufacturerProduction Corporation Polyot, Voronezh Aircraft Production Association, Dux Factory
The Ilyushin Il-28 (Russian: Илью́шин Ил-28; NATO reporting name: Beagle) is a medium-range jet bomber, originally manufactured for the Soviet Air Forces, in service since 1950. It was the Soviet Union's first such aircraft to enter large-scale production. Total production in the USSR was 6,316 aircraft.
The Harbin H-5 was a variant built in the People's Republic of China (without license). Over 319 were built, as well as 187 HJ-5 training variants. The Korean People's Army Air Force is the only remaining operator, with approximately 80 aircraft, believed to be a mix of Soviet and Chinese models.
The bomber remained in frontline nuclear and conventional roles for the USSR until the late 1950s, carrying the RDS-4, and for China until the 1990s. Il-28s triggered worldwide attention during the Cuban Missile Crisis, where they were deployed with tactical nuclear bombs. They were also supplied to the Warsaw Pact; both the USSR and Hungarian rebels flew them during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. China's H-5s saw combat in the First Taiwan Strait Crisis and the 1959 Tibetan uprising. Egypt used Il-28s in the War of Attrition and North Yemen civil war, including to drop chemical weapons. They...
The Harbin H-5 was a variant built in the People's Republic of China (without license). Over 319 were built, as well as 187 HJ-5 training variants. The Korean People's Army Air Force is the only remaining operator, with approximately 80 aircraft, believed to be a mix of Soviet and Chinese models.
The bomber remained in frontline nuclear and conventional roles for the USSR until the late 1950s, carrying the RDS-4, and for China until the 1990s. Il-28s triggered worldwide attention during the Cuban Missile Crisis, where they were deployed with tactical nuclear bombs. They were also supplied to the Warsaw Pact; both the USSR and Hungarian rebels flew them during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. China's H-5s saw combat in the First Taiwan Strait Crisis and the 1959 Tibetan uprising. Egypt used Il-28s in the War of Attrition and North Yemen civil war, including to drop chemical weapons. They...
