Russia is planning to make a fleet of 80 heavy transport aircraft that will reportedly for moving a strategic unit of 400 Armata tanks, with ammunition, to anywhere in the world. The PAK TA program envisages an order of 80 new cargo aircraft to start serial production in 2024. There are also plans to make smaller planes as well.
The current AN-124 “Ruslan” has a load capacity of 165 tons in some versions.
According to a new design specification from the Military-Industrial Commission in Moscow, the PAK TA transport aircraft, will fly at mach 1.63 (supersonic speeds of up to 2,000 km/h) and move a payload of up to 200 tons. It will also have a range of at least 7,000 kilometers.
The PAK TA freighters will be multilevel, with automated cargo loading and have the capability to airdrop hardware and personnel on any terrain. Externally the new aircraft follows a blended wing body (BWB) design with three turbofan engines and a rear cargo door.
Being able to create such a supersonic transport plane would also mean a supersonic superheavy bomber would also be possible by modifying the transport to drop bombs or fire cruise missiles.
The C-5M Super Galaxy, America’s largest military transport plane, tops out at 518 mph. The PAK TA’s planned 200-ton capacity will enable it to carry one or two more tanks than the Super Galaxy
SOURCES – Rt.com, Youtube
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