People watch an A-50 on show during a flight show in Zhukovsky, outside Moscow, Russia, on August 10, 2012, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Russia's air force. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong)

MOSCOW, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Russia's newest A-100 aircraft with the most advanced airborne early warning and control (AWACS) system made its maiden flight on Saturday, Tass news agency said.

Quoting a news release issued by Vega Radio Engineering Corporation, the designer affiliated with the Russian state-owned industrial and defense conglomerate Rostec, Tass said the multifunctional aviation complex of radar patrol and targeting A-100 made a debut flight, and the avionics and elements of the radio engineering complex of the aircraft were tested during the flight.

According to the press service, the aircraft is installed with a unique antenna system and the state-of-the-art radar equipment, which enables it to quickly build up a radar field in a predetermined direction of operation.

It can also guide fighters and bombers to hit detected air, ground and naval targets, the company said.

The A-100 aircraft, built on the base of the Il-76MD-90A transport aircraft, is expected to replace the A-50 AWACS aircraft currently in the service of the Russian Air Force.