The Russian Ministry of Defense has announced plans to order the industry a super-heavy transport aircraft, which will become an analogue of the An-124 Ruslan and even surpass it.
Il-76MD-90A. Photo: A. Nagaev/ilyushin.org
President of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Yuri Slyusar said that in at the moment projects of super-heavy transport aircraft with a carrying capacity of 80, 120 and 160 tons are being developed.
It is possible that the acceleration of work on the creation of new heavy transport winged vehicles was prompted by the operation of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) in Syria. Due to the lack of an aircraft carrier fleet, attacks on terrorist bases were carried out from ground airfields in Syrian and Russian territories. To ensure large-scale operation of the Aerospace Forces group, it was necessary to create the necessary infrastructure in the SAR as soon as possible.
Basically, forces and equipment were delivered by sea, and some of the aircraft arrived under their own power. If the transportation of personnel and ground equipment were carried out not by ships, but by aircraft similar to the Ruslan, the transfer would be almost lightning fast. It is a little easier for Americans to plan operations for the prompt delivery of their armed forces far away, which is facilitated by the network of US naval and air bases, covering the territories of all continents and the waters of all oceans. So the construction of heavy and super-heavy transport aircraft for the needs of the Russian Aerospace Forces will become a real “asymmetric response” to the US air fleet, which is the main mechanism for the operational transfer of troops and equipment.
The announced design carrying capacity of promising jet vehicles clearly hints that they should be able to transport not only cargo and personnel, but also heavy armored vehicles such as tanks. It is logical to assume the next step is the landing of ground combat vehicles, but this is still in the realm of science fiction.
New technology will not be designed from scratch. Among domestic design bureaus, the palm in the creation of transport aircraft belongs to the Ilyushin Design Bureau. Today the Russian military transport aviation (VTA) is armed with latest modification the legendary “air truck” Il-76MD-90A. The payload that this aircraft can lift is 60 tons. Today, the Il-76 performs the main task of transporting troops and equipment; in addition, aircraft of this type are actively used for civilian purposes for transporting cargo. A similar aircraft is also in service with NATO countries - the C-17 "Globemaster", but it is inferior in reliability and manufacturability to the machines of the Ilyushin Design Bureau.
There are aircraft capable of lifting more weight, but their fleet is becoming smaller every year. Thus, today in Russia there are 26 An-124 Ruslan aircraft left with a carrying capacity twice as large as that of the Il-76, however, only 10 of them are capable of performing their tasks. Most likely, in the coming years, these aircraft will also end their aviation age.
The main enterprise that produced Antei is located in Ukraine, as is the Motor Sich company, which produces engines for them. So the maintenance and production of new aircraft directly depends on the policy of the current Kyiv authorities. In 2014, the cooperation program between the Russian and Ukrainian aviation industries was finally destroyed at the initiative of Kyiv. It is planned that the Ulyanovsk enterprise Aviastar-SP can handle the production of similar engines. However, the modernization of existing super-heavy transport aircraft is a half-measure that will not solve the fundamental issue of updating the aircraft fleet.
Work on the development of new BTA aircraft started at sunset Soviet Union. Then the Ilyushin Design Bureau was ahead of its competitors - the Antonov and Tupolev Design Bureau. On state competition The winner was the project of the Il-106 aircraft with a payload capacity of up to 80 tons, which was supposed to replace the An-22 and Il-76 in the future. The project of the future super-heavy transport aircraft was named "Ermak".
“The IL-106 was a very promising development, ahead of its time. However, it was not possible to complete the project, firstly, due to economic difficulties, and secondly, the An-124 Ruslan had already been put into production. Today, the development of heavy ground armored vehicles poses the need to design aircraft that could transport them. We are talking not only about infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, but also about tanks. Therefore, it is logical that the idea of continuing the development of the aircraft in the direction of making it heavier to the size of the promising Ermak was developed. - aviation expert Valentin Dudin is sure.
Today it is not yet clear on the basis of which project the new airliner for the Russian VTA will be developed. It is possible that the developments in the design of the Il-106 will be used in the design of a promising aviation complex for transport aviation.
There is a possibility that terms of reference will be modified to take into account the possibility of using the new aircraft in Arctic regions. It may not be possible to land a vehicle weighing more than 200 tons on ice, but it is quite possible to envisage use at unprepared ground airfields.
According to plans Military-Industrial Commission Under the Russian government, by 2024, the Russian army should receive 80 units of new heavy transport aircraft PAK-TA (Advanced Aviation Complex of Transport Aviation), which, flying at hypersonic speeds, will be able to reach any point on the globe in approximately seven hours. According to the stated specifications, the PAK-TA aircraft will be able to fly at speeds of up to 2000 kilometers per hour, have a flight range of up to 7 thousand kilometers and lift cargo weighing up to 200 tons into the air. A fleet of such transport aircraft will be able, if necessary, to quickly transport an “armored fist” of 400 ultra-modern Armata tanks with full ammunition and all related services.
The main task of PAK-TA transport workers will be transportation military equipment various types, including not only Armata tanks, but also self-propelled artillery guns, anti-aircraft missile systems, tactical missile launchers, systems volley fire and anti-tank combat vehicles of the Sprut-SD type. PAK-TA aircraft will have a multi-level deck equipped with an automatic loading and unloading system; in addition, they will be capable of parachuting any equipment and airborne troops.
According to available information, work within the PAK-TA project has been ongoing for several years. And the current technical specifications are already fundamentally different from the specifications adopted at the very beginning of this project. According to the first specifications, the next generation of transport aircraft was supposed to be able to fly at a speed of 900 kilometers per hour, while having a “moderate” flight range of 4.5 thousand kilometers.
Within the framework of the PAK-TA program, not only a transport aircraft will be developed, which without a doubt can be called a monster, and whose closest relative is the Buran carrier An-225 Mriya, capable of lifting 225 tons of cargo into the air. As part of this program, a whole range of aircraft will be developed with a carrying capacity of 80 to 200 tons, which will gradually replace all existing transport aircraft produced by Antonov and Ilyushin Design Bureaus.
Military cargo transport aircraft PAK-TA will most quickly be developed by specialists from the S.V. Ilyushin Aviation Complex, Moscow, and the basis for a new project in this case could be the project of the Il-106 aircraft, with a payload capacity of 80 tons, which won the government tender at the end 1980s, but which was abandoned after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Monster cars - all about the most exceptional machines, mechanisms and devices in the world, from huge means of destroying their own kind to tiny, precise devices, mechanisms and everything in between.
According to the plans of the Military-Industrial Commission under the Russian government, by 2024 the Russian army should receive 80 units of new heavy transport aircraft PAK-TA (Advanced Aviation Complex of Transport Aviation), which, flying at hypersonic speeds, will be able to reach any point on the globe in approximately seven hours . According to the stated specifications, the PAK-TA aircraft will be able to fly at speeds of up to 2000 kilometers per hour, have a flight range of up to 7 thousand kilometers and lift cargo weighing up to 200 tons into the air. A fleet of such transport aircraft will be able, if necessary, to quickly transport an “armored fist” of 400 ultra-modern Armata tanks with full ammunition and all related services.
The main task of PAK-TA transport workers will be to transport military equipment of various types, including not only Armata tanks, but also self-propelled artillery guns, anti-aircraft missile systems, tactical missile launchers, multiple launch rocket systems and anti-tank combat vehicles of the Sprut-SD type. PAK-TA aircraft will have a multi-level deck equipped with an automatic loading and unloading system; in addition, they will be capable of parachuting any equipment and airborne troops.
According to available information, work within the PAK-TA project has been ongoing for several years. And the current technical specifications are already fundamentally different from the specifications adopted at the very beginning of this project. According to the first specifications, the next generation of transport aircraft was supposed to be able to fly at a speed of 900 kilometers per hour, while having a “moderate” flight range of 4.5 thousand kilometers.
Within the framework of the PAK-TA program, not only a transport aircraft will be developed, which without a doubt can be called a monster, and whose closest relative is the Buran carrier An-225 Mriya, capable of lifting 225 tons of cargo into the air. As part of this program, a whole range of aircraft will be developed with a carrying capacity of 80 to 200 tons, which will gradually replace all existing transport aircraft produced by Antonov and Ilyushin Design Bureaus.
Military cargo transport aircraft PAK-TA will most quickly be developed by specialists from the S.V. Ilyushin Aviation Complex, Moscow, and the basis for a new project in this case could be the project of the Il-106 aircraft, with a payload capacity of 80 tons, which won the government tender at the end 1980s, but which was abandoned after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Monster cars - all about the most exceptional machines, mechanisms and devices in the world, from huge means of destroying their own kind to tiny, precise devices, mechanisms and everything in between.
Work continues on the “Promising aviation complex Transport Aviation" (PAK TA), designed to provide the Russian Air Force with new military transport aircraft. The project is currently at the stage of preliminary research and formation of the appearance of promising technology. The first technical details will become known later, after the completion of this stage of work. However, some information about the PAK TA project is already appearing. Recently it became known that within the framework of the new project a whole family of military transport aircraft with different characteristics, designed to solve various tasks, will be developed.
News agency "Lenta.ru" citing an unnamed source in defense industry reports some features of the new PAK TA project. According to the source, it is planned to create several military transport aircraft with different characteristics. These will be cars of different classes, from medium to super-heavy. Thus, the average aircraft of the new model will have a payload capacity of about 50 tons, and the super-heavy aircraft should surpass the existing An-124 in its characteristics. Thus, the largest of the family vehicles will be able to transport up to 120-150 tons of cargo.
As follows from the information disclosed, the medium aircraft of the PAK TA family will be able to complement and then replace the existing Il-76 aircraft of various modifications. Heavy and super-heavy aircraft, in turn, will be designed to transport various equipment and cargo that cannot be transported by existing Il-76s. First of all, the cargo of the new heavy and super-heavy PAK TA will be various techniques armed forces, including promising armored vehicles based on the Armata platform.
A Lenta.ru source claims that the customer, the Ministry of Defense, has not yet determined which version of the military transport aircraft will become the base for the new family of equipment. This decision will be made later, although the timing of its appearance remains unknown.
According to some reports, work on the “Advanced Aviation Complex for Transport Aviation” project began in 2013. Subsequently, a number of aviation industry organizations worked on various features and aspects of a promising transport aircraft. For obvious reasons, until a certain time, even approximate characteristics of the promising technology were not announced. It was stated that the first military transport aircraft of the new type would be delivered to the customer in the mid-twenties.
Last year it became known that the head enterprise of the PAK TA project was the Aviation Complex named after. S.V. Ilyushin. Some details of the work were announced in mid-October. Then general manager Ilyushin company Sergei Sergeev said that the development of a family of new transport aircraft will begin in 2016. The new project plans to create several types of super-heavy aircraft. The carrying capacity of this equipment must exceed 80 tons. The project has the code “Ermak”. It was assumed that serial construction of new aircraft will begin in 2024.
According to domestic media reports mass media, at that time it was planned to develop and put into series several aircraft with a payload capacity of 80 tons or more. Through the implementation of such a project, it was possible to replace existing machines of a similar class. Thus, the emergence of military transport aircraft with a payload capacity of 80 to 120-140 tons would make it possible to replace the remaining An-22 aircraft and those available in relatively large quantities An-124. At the same time, the opportunity arose to abandon the joint Russian-Ukrainian project to produce An-124 aircraft.
However, the planned replacement remains a distant matter for now. It will take some time to launch full-fledged serial construction, which is why new technology will appear in the required quantities no earlier than the first half of the thirties.
Currently, Russian military transport aviation has aircraft of various types. Among the aircraft that will have to be replaced by the new equipment of the PAK TA family, the most popular at the moment are the Il-76 aircraft of various modifications with a carrying capacity of up to 50-60 tons, depending on the modification. In the foreseeable future, the Air Force should receive several dozen Il-76MD-90A aircraft, which have higher performance in comparison with the latest modifications of the Il-76. In addition, there are several An-22 aircraft with a payload of up to 60 tons and several An-124 with a payload of more than 120 tons.
It is now known that the existing fleet of military transport aircraft will be replaced by several types of aircraft with different characteristics. Various tasks will be distributed among middle-class aircraft capable of carrying up to 50 tons of cargo, heavy (carrying capacity probably up to 60-80 tons) and super-heavy (up to 120-150 tons). Thus, the PAK TA project currently being developed will help not only update the fleet of military transport aircraft, but also to a certain extent expand its capabilities, significantly increasing the maximum payload in comparison with existing equipment.
Of great interest are the words of the Lenta.ru source about the possibility of transporting armored vehicles, including promising vehicles of the Armata family. Since this equipment can only be transported using heavy and super-heavy class aircraft, certain conclusions can be drawn about its approximate weight and overall characteristics. In addition, it can be assumed that promising super-heavy transport aircraft will be able to transport 1-2 tanks or other armored vehicles based on the Armata platform.
Currently, as follows from the available data, the military and aviation industry specialists are engaged in determining the requirements for promising military transport aircraft and shaping their technical appearance. Development of the project should start only next year. Since the project is in its very early stages, most information about it has not yet been published, and the announced plans may be revised several times in the future. Thus, in the very near future, new messages may appear that confirm or refute the existing information.
Based on materials from sites:
http://lenta.ru/
http://interfax.ru/
http://ria.ru/
http://tass.ru/
In Russia, work continues on the creation of a new heavy military transport aircraft, which should replace the proven, but already quite outdated Il-76, An-22 and An-124 Ruslan aircraft. The project received the code name PAK TA, which stands for “Advanced Aviation Complex for Transport Aviation.” Currently, it is at the initial stage, designers and the military are determining the appearance and characteristics of future aircraft, so there is still little information about the new machine (or family of machines) and it is quite contradictory.
A new transport aircraft would come in handy not only for the military. One of the largest Russian transport companies In 2019, Volga-Dnepr announced plans to purchase 20 American Boeing 747-8F cargo aircraft. The amount of this transaction amounts to billions of dollars. It is likely that Russian carriers would have preferred a domestic transport aircraft if it existed in nature.
Military transport aviation: current state
Currently, the transport aviation of the Russian Armed Forces has four types of aircraft, the main difference of which is their carrying capacity. These are light transport aircraft (An-26) with a payload of 6 tons, medium (An-12, load capacity 20 tons), heavy (Il-76, load up to 60 tons) and super-heavy aircraft, which include the An-124 "Ruslan" , capable of carrying a load of 120 tons. Total number of transport vehicles in service Russian army, about 250 units.
In addition to the armed forces, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations also has its own transport aircraft. It consists of Il-76 and An-74.
The most popular military transport aircraft of the Russian army (about 100 units) is the Il-76 of various modifications. In 2012, a modification of the Il-76MD-90A aircraft appeared, with more economical engines and modern on-board equipment.
In the Soviet Union, the main design bureau that was involved in the development of transport vehicles was the Kiev Antonov Design Bureau. The lion's share of transport aircraft, which are used today both in the army and in civilian life, was developed by the designers of this bureau. After the collapse of the USSR, difficult times began for this aircraft manufacturing enterprise. Antonov is still engaged in the development and construction of aircraft, but the number of aircraft produced has decreased significantly.
Serial production of the pride of the Soviet aviation industry, the An-124 Ruslan super-heavy aircraft, has long ceased, and the service life of the machines that are used today is gradually being exhausted. In August 2019, the Antonov State Enterprise banned Russian enterprises carry out independently maintenance An-124. This may lead to the fact that Russian aircraft will simply not be allowed to leave the country.
Over the years since the collapse of the USSR, Russian and Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly tried to revive former cooperation in aircraft manufacturing field, however, most of these attempts remained unrealized. The current situation in relations between the two countries will likely put an end to cooperation in this area.
How are things going with transport aviation from potential opponents?
The United States has the world's largest fleet of transport aircraft, with more than 400 aircraft of several types. In many ways, this allows the American army to conduct large-scale operations many thousands of kilometers from its borders. The main transport aircraft of the US Air Force (and the entire NATO bloc) are the C-130 Hercules (19 tons of cargo capacity) and the C-17 Globemaster III (can lift up to 80 tons of cargo) and the C-5 Galaxy (up to 120 tons of cargo).
Currently, Europeans and Americans consider the development and mass production of transport vehicles with a carrying capacity of over one hundred tons to be expensive and unnecessary exotic, although they do not hesitate to hire Ruslans to transport military and civilian cargo.
Russian promising projects
In 2014, the plans of the Military-Industrial Commission under the Government of the Russian Federation regarding the implementation of the PAK TA program were announced. The characteristics of the new transport aircraft for the Russian army were surprising, to put it mildly.
According to the information announced, the PAK TA will have supersonic speed (about 2000 km/h), a flight range of at least 7 thousand kilometers and a payload capacity of up to 200 tons. By 2024, the Russian armed forces should receive at least 80 such monsters. According to the developers, this air fleet will be capable of as soon as possible deliver an armored fist of 400 (!!!) ultra-modern Armata tanks and other armored vehicles created on its basis to any point on the globe.
The PAK TA will have a deck with several levels, as well as the ability to land any equipment.
Such characteristics do not look very realistic: supersonic aircraft such a load capacity (and size) should consume huge amount fuel, only special runways are suitable for it. Besides, technical difficulties problems that the creators of such an aircraft will certainly face are unlikely to be within the capabilities of the modern Russian aviation industry, and the cost of production and maintenance of such machines will be prohibitive.
In addition to the above-mentioned project, materials about other promising transport aircraft, also called PAK TA, appear in the domestic media with enviable regularity.
First of all, we are talking about the Ilyushin Il-106 vehicles and the Ermak PTS.
Il-106 is a rather old Ilyushin project, the development of which began in the mid-80s. Then a competition was announced to create a new transport aircraft that would replace the Il-76. The design bureaus of Tupolev, Ilyushin and Antonov presented their proposals, and the Ilyushin project was recognized as the winner. The new aircraft was designated Il-106, it was planned to be completed before 1995, and put into production in 1997. For obvious reasons, this never happened.
According to the project, the Il-106 had a payload capacity of up to 100 tons, was made according to a classic aerodynamic design and could transport cargo over a distance of 5 thousand km. The new aircraft was planned to be equipped with front and rear cargo ramps.
About what new PAK TA is nothing more than a modified IL-106, he told the TASS agency in 2019 general designer“Ilyushin” Nikolai Talikov. It is likely that the old Soviet design will serve as the basis for a new transport aircraft. Information has emerged that the new aircraft will be equipped with the most powerful Russian civil aircraft engine, the NK-93. There is information that preliminary design of the PAK TA began in 2019.
Another vehicle that is often mentioned when mentioning the PAK TA is the Ermak PTS. This is also a project of the Ilyushin Design Bureau, the first mention of which appeared in 2013. The new vehicle will have characteristics similar to the Il-106: payload capacity up to 100 tons, normal aerodynamic design. Work on the creation of Ermak is planned to begin in 2019. Serial production cars are expected by 2024.
It is likely that the basis for the creation of “Ermak” will be developments on the Il-106 aircraft.
To successfully implement the complex project to create a modern super-heavy transport aircraft, a new corporation will be created: in addition to OJSC Il, it will include EMZ im. V.M. Myasishchev" and "UAC - Transport aircraft", as well as the two largest Russian aircraft factories - Ulyanovsk and Voronezh (VASO).
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