Speaking on a conference call on October 8, 2019, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu provided an update on the Il-112V program.

IL-112V during its first flight (Picture source: Ilyushin)

Shoigu proposed to discuss the renewal of airlifter aviation, as the combat readiness of the armed forces directly depends on it. He said Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A heavy airlifter is being improved to fully comply with the technical assignment. Trials will continue this October month. Flight trials of a prospective air tanker are to be completed by May 2020.

The light Ilyushin Il-112V airlifter, which is to replace Antonov An-26, is being upgraded to decrease its weight. The flight trials will resume in the first quarter of 2020.

Redesign work on the aircraft was ordered after the aircraft's first test flight, which occurred in March. Though Ilyushin CEO Alexey Rogozin said that "no serious issues were detected during the flight," the tests revealed that the aircraft in its present state does not meet the Ministry of Defense's carrying capacity requirements. The aircraft is expected to have a 5-ton carrying capacity and be able to reach speeds of up to 450 kilometers per hour.