The llyushin Il-18 was developed in the mid-1950s to meet an Aeroflot requirement for a medium-range 75/100-seat transport, and the first prototype flew on 4 July 1957. Aeroflot inaugurated use of the type on its Moscow-Adler and Moscow-Alma-Ata routes on 20 April 1959, and eventually something more than 700 of these aircraft were built. Of the total built only small numbers entered military service, primarily for VIP transport.

As Il-18s have been retired from civil use some have been converted into the ECM or electronic intelligence (Elmt) ll-20s, and these have the NATO reporting name 'Coot-A'. It seems likely that the numbers of these aircraft will increase as the turboprop-powered ll-18s are retired from Aeroflot use when replaced by turbofan-powered airliners. In addition to the 'Coot-A' there is another military version, the maritime reconnaissance/ASW Il-38 'May' developed from the Il-18 airliner. This differs from the standard Il-18 by having a lengthened fuselage, MAD (magnetic anomaly detection) tail 'sting', weapon-carrying capability, and the wing located much further forward on the fuselage to offset the change in centre of gravity resulting from the introduction of more equipment and stores. About 60 are believed to be in use by the Soviet naval air force and one squadron in India