A source in the Antonov company, part of the Ukrainian state-owned defence and aerospace holding group Ukroboronprom, has disclosed details to the Defence Blog regarding the future of its new An-188 military cargo aircraft family.

In the framework of the airshow Eurasia-2018, held in Antalya, Turkey, was unveils for the first time the new AN-188 STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) military transport aircraft. The new Ukraine-developed military transport aircraft project involves westernization of all components, implementation of modern and reliable technical solutions, as well as full compliance with NATO standards, both in terms of equipment and the use of the aircraft.

Officials from Antonov said that Ukraine will develop a family of new aircraft on basis of An-70. The new family would consist of 3 air platforms with different turbofan engines. The aircraft called the An-188-100 will be equipped with four D-436-148FM three-shaft high by-pass turbofan engines developed by the Ukrainian company Ivchenko-Progress. The variant with four AI-28 new-generation engines also developed by the Ivchenko-Progress will be called the An-188-110. And An-188-120 will be equipped with four LEAP high-bypass turbofan aircraft engines made by CFM International (CFMI).

All new aircraft of An-188 family will be capable of basing on different airfields, including air strips, and landing on short runways of only 600-800 m in length. This greatly expands the number of airfields the aircraft can be used on, ensuring the high efficiency of the new aircraft.

The new aircraft will have an advanced glass cockpit with newest flight navigation and communication equipment.  The An188 has the capability to fly distances up to 7,700 km, at a cruising altitude up to 12,100 m, and at a speed of up to 800 km/h depending on aircraft and engine type and variant.

The An-188 military transport turbojet aircraft with a carrying capacity of up to 50 tons will be capable of carrying military equipment of all kinds. It will be capable of carrying military and construction equipment, helicopters, infantry combat vehicles, tank, artillery systems, up to 300 soldiers, as well as humanitarian cargoes, pallets and containers. Maximum payload of up to 35 tonnes (maximum 47)  and a volume of 400 m3. The An-188 can carry numerous pieces of outside cargo, for example, a one Puma with one Lynx helicopters and 42 paratroopers, or a heavy infantry fighting vehicle for military purposes.

It can accommodate 300 troops. Transportation of wounded

• upper deck – 110 seated,
• lower deck – 96 stretchers.

The An-188 can accommodate up to 130 fully equipped paratroops. and also can airdrop up to 21 tonnes of airborne infantry fighting vehicles with crew or pallets through gravity and parachute extraction.

Armed forces of Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey already expressed their interest in the project of the new Ukraine’s An-188 aircraft. Source state the new transport aircraft would be a direct competitor to the French Airbus Military A400M Atlas high-winged military transport and American C-130 and C-17.