Inside Putin's £400,000,000 'doomsday' plane built to withstand a nuclear blast
Vladimir Putin is on his way to Alaska today to meet Donald Trump – and he might take the 'Flying Kremlin' plane to get there.
The last time the Russian president was in the US was ten years ago. Their summit today will be the first time the pair have met on US soil.
Putin is not taking any chances with his long journey from Moscow to Anchorage, where the presidents are expected to have a highly guarded meeting with just interpreters present.
The talks are likely to focus on Ukraine and how to end the war started by Russia.
Putin and his entourage will travel the 4,584-mile journey on one of his high-security stealth planes, one of which is designed to survive a nuclear blast.
Here is what we know about the fleet of aircraft customised for Putin.
The 'doomsday plane,' also known as the 'Flying Kremlin,' has been designed to meet Putin's needs – and security – in the case of an attack.
Most leaders of superpowers have their special aircraft – the POTUS has Air Force One, while the Chinese leadership uses a modified Boeing 737-800 – but Putin's special plane is thought to be the only one able to survive a nuclear attack.
The 'doomsday plane' is an Ilyushin Il-80 aircraft, which is a revamped version of the manufacturer's passenger and cargo plane.
The massive plane has no windows for passengers, just the front for the pilots to see out, designed to boost safety in the event of a natural disaster or a man-made attack.
The Kremlin also has a fleet of other planes to choose from, including three Ilyushin Il-96-300PU models operated by the Special Air Squadron.
This is thought to be the plane of choice for Putin's Alaska visit, and the second Il-96 was spotted approaching Anchorage shortly before midnight. More Trending
The less menacing-looking Il-96 has windows and boasts luxuries.
Like the US Air Force One, the Flying Kremlin boasts extensive communications tech, making it a moveable command centre.
The command centre is thought to be located inside a dome in the middle of the fuselage to prevent electromagnetic pulse attacks, according to Euronews.
Price estimates for the 'doomsday plane' and the Il-96 jets range wildly from around £50 million up to £400 million.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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