MOSCOW, September 2. /TASS/. The A-100 advanced long-range radar spotting aircraft that is currently being created in Russia surpasses the foreign analogues, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday at a teleconference with the ministry leadership.

"The A-100 aircraft by its characteristics surpasses the foreign analogues. Its reconnaissance capabilities will make it possible to detect new classes of targets, perform strike aircraft guidance and control," Shoigu said.

According to him, the project is now at the stage of experimental design work codenamed Premier-476.

It was reported previously that the A-100 plane will be created on the basis of the new military transport aircraft Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A (also known as IL-476). Tests of the advanced AWACS plane are expected to begin in 2017.