Click to see full-size image
On December 16, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported on the first exercises with seven An-124-100 Ruslan heavy military transport aircraft. The goal of the drills was to check their readiness to simultaneously transfer military personnel with standard weapons and military equipment over long distances.
For the first time, seven An-124-100 Ruslans took to the sky at the same time. In 2021, 6 aircraft were involved in similar drills. LINK
The total length of their flight was over a thousand kilometers. The flights were conducted at an altitude of over 4,000 meters. The average speed of the aircraft was 500 km/ h. The exercises were attended by young crews who have been trained this year.
“During the flights, the crews of the AN-124-100 Ruslan heavy military transport aircraft practiced takeoff, en-route flights and landing at reduced time intervals. The flights took place in difficult weather conditions, like precipitation, low clouds and strong wind,” the Ministry of Defense reported.
The AN-124-100 Ruslan is a military transport aircraft with a payload capacity of 120 tons. One AN-124 can transfer 880 soldiers with full equipment.
The Russian Aerospace Forces currently have 22 An-124-100 Ruslan aircraft in service, including 16 in the 566th Military Transport Aviation Regiment, and 8 more in the 224th flight detachment, which a subsidiary unit of the Ministry of Defense.
Among other military transport aircraft, the Russian Air Force have more than 100 Il-76s. In its turn, one IL-76 can transfer about 145 military personnel in full equipment and about 225 servicemen can be transfered in a two-deck type of this aircraft.
Thus, the Russian military can easily deploy a group of 20 thousand troops at airfields in the operational rear in western Russian regions within 8-12 hours, taking into account time for loading and unloading. From there, a group of thousands servicemen can be transferred to any direction on the frontlines in Ukraine within 6-8 hours.
These large-scale exercise is another signal that the Russian military is always has a trump card to surprise the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Such a speed of deployment of fresh reserves and equipment in an unexpected area of the front can ensure a rapid breakthrough of Ukrainian defense. Today, any mass movement of troops is easily tracked from satellites by all parties to the conflict. Therefore, the ability to transfer personnel and equipment within a short period of time is strategically important. Despite the ‘support’ by NATO reconnaissance, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will need much more time to prepare for retaliatory actions and transfer any reinforcements to the area of Russian breakthrough.
interesting vid footage. chk your an-124 count.
i feel sorry for any russian troops that have to board those poorly constructed russian cargo planes! those airplanes are an air disaster just waiting to happen!
much safer then an anglo made osprey tiltrotar aircraft.
und erst die schrottigen a400 m in denen nicht mal ein panzer transportiert werden kann.
i too feel sorry for those russian soldiers who have to board these aircraft, in order to sort out another america/nato warmongering mess. syria, and now the ukraine. it seems that russian forces are getting better and better at it.
behave yourself, you are an accident that has happened.
see free data on wikipedia: il and an airplanes are the safest in the world.
sad how people are at the mercy of propaganda and form an opinion based on it.
nive looking. me too even i have no wings.
far out with thote tranports. more like bad plans and logistics. there are not ats in western russian region. more as there should be.
jibber disease cuz me lick pene
ich lüge wieder
i nerver wrote that
i never wrote that
if the crete mercury operation doesn’t explained it then what will. an-124s gimme a brake.
humanity celebrates the wonderful sharp claws of the mighty russian bear. does $lumville, ussa imagine that it can take away mother russia’s vast resources and live to tell the tale? the anglozionazi empire of filth is already dead and it’s way past time to bury the stinking corpse and its foul chosenite albatross. z
should ukraine lose it’s air defences the smo could be over in a few days.
wikipedia is my god
i never wrore that as well.
wiki is one of the best free sourcer we have, but all sources had to checked up.
if some say ukraine is runned by nazis with a jew as their leader, i do.
thye are 2,15%.
is little volodymyr’s plan to lull the russians into complacency with well advertised offensive after well advertised offensive and then annihilate them with a surprise attack?
a slam dunk, mr biden?
it might. they have problems . but attackers has too.
i would expect a massive russian counter attack this winter, that’s what happened after stalingrad was liberated.
its so funny assuming that. ukras are used to and live there.
ich bin so bekloppt. meine behinderung behindert mich beim denken.