It was designed to meet a requirement for a jet bomber that could carry 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) to a range of 3,500 km (2,200 mi) with a maximum speed no less than 1,000 km/h (620 mph).

The design took that of the Il-28 as a starting point, but had thin, shoulder-mounted swept wings with a 35° sweep angle, chosen to allow the aircraft to reach its required speed.

Maximum bomb load was 4,000 kg (8,800 lb)[2] The initial results were favorable, and a full-scale mockup was formally reviewed in March 1949.

By the following year, the Il-30 program had lost momentum as the Ilyushin OKB was ordered to concentrate its resources on facilitating the service introduction of the Il-28.

[3] Data from OKB Ilyushin: A History of the Design Bureau and its Aircraft[3]General characteristics Performance Armament