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Russia Plans to Decommission the Antonov An-22 Antei, the Largest Turboprop Aircraft Globally
Date:
The Antonov An-22 “Antei,” which succeeded the An-12, made its international debut at the Paris Air Show in 1965. Known as the world's largest turboprop aircraft, it is set to be decommissioned from the Russian Aerospace Forces. This announcement was made by Lieutenant General Vladimir Benediktov, the head of the Military Aviation Administration, during an appearance on Soloviev Live. He stated that the aircraft would stop being operational in 2024.
The An-22, known by its NATO designation “Cock,” was created during the Soviet era. This aircraft features a high-wing design and an 'H-tail' configuration. It is equipped with four turboprop engines, each driving a set of two contra-rotating propellers. The main body of the plane is cylindrical, with large protrusions housing the landing gear on either side.
When viewed from the front, both characteristics are clearly noticeable. It can carry approximately 80 tons and travel 5,000 kilometers with a full load at an altitude of 29,000 feet. However, some Russian reports indicate that its payload capacity is 60 tons.
Benediktov mentioned that 67 An-22 planes were manufactured in total, with some staying in Ukraine and around 60 being part of the Russian Military Transport Aviation Command. Publicly accessible Russian aviation records indicate that most of these aircraft have been decommissioned, with five kept in storage, four still operational, and six having been destroyed in crashes and other mishaps.
The prototype was finished in January 1964, and it made its inaugural flight on February 27, 1965, marking five years since the project's inception. Just three months later, it made its debut on the global stage at the Paris Air Show. After coming back, the An-22 continued its testing phase and began mass production in November.
Huge Aircraft for Large Loads
After the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991, Antonov transitioned to being a Ukrainian company, though it retained substantial business connections in Russia. However, the conflict that began in February 2022 and the ensuing Western sanctions rendered the existing aerospace commercial relationships between Russia and Ukraine impractical. Consequently, Russia faced challenges in servicing and maintaining numerous Antonov aircraft within its civilian and military fleets.
Hailed as the world's biggest turboprop aircraft, this spacious plane was engineered to transport extremely heavy cargo such as ballistic missiles, potentially from one location to another. During that period, the Soviet military sought an aircraft capable of hauling the new 36-ton T-54 tank, its crew, and their equipment.
A different An-22 belonging to the Russian Aerospace Forces. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
Created in the 1960s as a successor to the An-12, this aircraft was designed to meet Moscow's demand for a larger and more capable cargo plane. It uses the same powerful NK-12MA turboprop engines found in the Tupolev Tu-114 and Tu-95. Specifically, the Soviet Airborne Forces needed a transport that could accommodate their new BMD-1 series armored fighting vehicles. The An-22 met this need, able to carry four BMD-1 vehicles compared to the An-12's capacity of just one.
The ability to transport large loads had uses beyond the military. In Russia, particularly in areas such as Siberia, there was a constant need for transporting heavy goods over long distances to remote places with rudimentary airstrips requiring robust landing gear. These goods commonly included machinery, industrial parts, tractors, and various types of field equipment.
TASS, citing publicly available information, reported that the aircraft had a history of accidents. There were nine instances where this type of plane crashed, resulting in seven incidents and the deaths of 102 people. One significant crash involving an An-22 occurred in Russia on December 28, 2010. This particular aircraft, registered as RA-09343, went down during a training exercise in the central Tula region of Russia, leading to the deaths of all 12 people on board.
The aircraft, which departed from Voronezh en route to Migalovo airport in Tver, apparently encountered an "electrical malfunction." Authorities stated that it suddenly "disappeared" from radar tracking.
Different Models
There were two primary models that emerged. The first was the typical An-22A, which featured an ‘air start’ system and enhanced electrical, radio communication, and navigation systems. The second model, the An-22P3, was specifically created to carry the central and outer wing sections of the An-124 and An-225 aircraft externally, positioned above its fuselage.
There were also other intended variants for amphibious operations and search and rescue missions, but these only reached the model stage and were not further developed. One particularly bold endeavor saw the Soviets equipping the An-22 with a nuclear reactor to serve as an Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) aircraft. In 1972, this prototype conducted 23 test flights under the project named ‘Stork,’ after which the reactor was removed. Ultimately, the An-22PLO project was abandoned in the mid-1970s.
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