KIEV, Ukraine – NATO and Ukraine are discussing final provisions for extending the lease of heavy-duty transport aircraft – Antonov An-124-100 Ruslan. The contract is likely to be extended for two years before the end of 2010. Ukraine is now negotiating a plan to revive mass production of a new commercialized model of Ruslan jointly with Russia. The produced planes will have the cargo lifting capacity of 150 tonnes. Russian air force is also a potential client for the aircraft.

The initial 600 million euro worth three-year contract with a right for prolongation was signed in the year of 2005. At that time NATO gave its preference to Ukrainian and Russian aircraft rather than American C-17. Consequently, the lease contract was extended in 2008. NATO is leasing Ruslan (NATO reporting name Condor) under Strategic Airlift Interim Solution program.

NATO is acting in the interest of its 18 members and European Union. Transport planes with 120 tonnes lifting capacity are to be used for antiterrorist, peacekeeping and humanitarian missions of the Alliance.

This agreement will cause drastic changes on the market of commercial transportation of super-heavy cargo as well as amend NATO’s plans for its presence in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Antonov An-124 Ruslan is a strategic airlift jet airplane. It was designed by the Soviet Union’s Antonov design bureau. It is the world’s largest ever serially manufactured cargo airplane and world’s second largest operating cargo aircraft. Over forty are in service in Ukraine, Russia,Bulgaria, the United Arab Emirates and Libya. An-124-100 is a commercialized version of a heavy military-transport plane An-124.

Among the others, Antonov 124-100 is represented in the fleet of Maximus Air Cargo, the UAE’s largest cargo aircraft operator. In 2010 Maximus Air Cargo was sending relief flights during the Holy Month of Ramadhan to help drought stricken Chad. The heavyweight Ruslans could carry large loads of relief and were able to land in devastated zones with little or no infrastructure.

In 2005 An-124 was used for transporting the Obelisk of Axum, with a total weight of 160 tonnes, back to its native homeland of Ethiopia. In 2004 it transported a 109 tonnes locomotive from Canada to Ireland.