Saudi Arabia will acquire 30 Antonov An-178 medium lift military transport aircraft, according to an MoU signed between Tagnia Aeronauti...
Saudi Arabia will acquire 30 Antonov An-178 medium lift military transport aircraft, according to an MoU signed between Tagnia Aeronautics and Antonov.
The under-development An-178, which first flew in May 2015 is based on the Antonov An-148 passenger aircraft.
The deal marks growing relationship between the Kingdom and Ukrainian airframer, as they are already engaged in joint development of the An-132 turboprop freighter based on the An-26 transport plane.
The An-178 will bolster airlift capabilities of Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) with its 18 ton payload capacity, complementing RSAF's existing fleet of Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules and Airbus CN-235 turboprop airlifters.
With its typical airlifter design including a high mounted wing and T-tail, the An-178 can operate from any runway including unpaved airfields and poorly equipped airfields. It is powered by two Ivchenko Progress D-436 turbofan engines enabling cruise at altitudes of up to 12.2 km.
The An-178 is equipped with a kneeling landing gear which enable to adjust the aircraft's cargo floor to truck-bed height.
Antonov has already received orders for An-178 from Chinese and Azerbaijan companies for 2,10 aircraft respectively. China has also signed agreement for serial production of An-178 locally.
The An-178 was designed to replace the large no of vintage An-12 four engined turboprop freighters operated in African countries. Antonov forecasts a market demand for up to 1100 aircraft of the type until 2035.
