One of the largest and most heavy-lift aircraft in the history of world aviation, the An-124 "Ruslan," was created in 1984. To date, the aircraft has no direct analogues, and it remains the largest aircraft in domestic military transport aviation.
Since the 2000s, the question of the need to restart the production of these giants has been repeatedly raised. Now it is 2025 — so why hasn't this been done yet?
Became a Legend in Its Lifetime
Today, the "Ruslan" remains the largest military transport aircraft. It is also the second largest aircraft in the world in terms of payload capacity. The basic model of the Soviet giant is capable of lifting 120 tons of payload into the sky.
The development of the An-124 was carried out in the Soviet Union from the 1960s. In 1982, the aircraft made its first flight, and two years later, it went into mass production. The "Ruslan" was produced from 1984 to 2004 at two enterprises — APK named after Ustinov in Ulyanovsk and "Antonov" in Kyiv.
Joint Production
In Ukraine, "Ruslans" were assembled until 1994. During this time, they managed to produce 17 aircraft. In Russia, virtually the same period saw the assembly of 33 aircraft. Formally, production continued further, but in subsequent years, the enterprises were actually only engaged in modernizing already assembled machines. As of 2015, at least four "Ruslans" remained unfinished — three in Ulyanovsk and one at the plant in Kyiv.
At the same time, components for the "Ruslan" were produced not only in Russia and Ukraine. After the collapse of the USSR and the destruction of established production and technological chains, manufacturers had to look for new suppliers and partners.
Failed to Agree
As a result, the production of "Ruslans" stopped at 56 units. Until 2012, negotiations were held between Russia and Ukraine on the possibility of restoring the project on a joint basis. However, the new owners failed to agree.
However, it must be said that the task of resuming production is by no means simple. According to the most conservative estimates, today the production of one An-124 will cost Russia at least $300 million.
Earlier, www1.ru reported that the features of the "glass" cockpit of the MS-21 aircraft were revealed in the UAC.
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