The Russian Military Transport Aviation (VTA) is preparing to retire the legendary An-22 “Antaeus” aircraft—the largest turboprop aircraft in the world. This was announced by Lieutenant General Vladimir Benediktov, Commander of the VTA, during a visit to Tver.
The An-22 made its maiden flight in 1965, becoming the first wide-body aircraft in the world. Over the years of production, 67 of these aircraft were built, 60 of which served the Russian VTA. However, their operation will be discontinued in 2024.
They will be replaced by the more modern and powerful An-124 “Ruslan,” which is also the largest serially produced aircraft in the world. The 12th VTA Division, based in Tver, is already equipped with these giant aircraft, which will significantly enhance the capabilities of Russia’s military transport aviation.
Russian media reported in 2020 that Russia had initiated the development of a completely new heavy military transport aircraft for the Aerospace Forces. The military and industry will finalize technical standards before the end of the year. However, the Ministry of Defence’s fundamental criteria are already known. In terms of payload capacity and range, the new aircraft will outperform the American C-17 and the European A-400 while falling short of the An-124. Ilyushin had already spent at least 250 million rubles on determining the specifications of the proposed aircraft and developing a preliminary design.
According to the 2020 Military Balance guide, Russia’s Aerospace Forces still have 11 operating An-124s and four turboprop An-22s. In 2018, Lieutenant General Vladimir Benediktov, chief of Russian military transport aviation, claimed that the military department is interested in and frequently contemplates restarting An-124 heavy aircraft production.
AN-22 is 12.5 meters in height and 57 meters in length. The wingspan measures 64.4 meters. The inaugural flight was conducted by Antey in 1965. The carrying capacity is 60 tons, and the utmost takeoff weight is 225 tons. The airlifter is capable of transporting a 40-ton cargo over a distance of more than 5,000 kilometers. The full payload range is 3.1 thousand kilometers.
