{"id":156861,"date":"2025-07-19T19:01:20","date_gmt":"2025-07-19T19:01:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/the-legendary-an-124-had-been-grounded-for-years-but-now-its-back-in-the-sky\/"},"modified":"2025-07-19T19:55:28","modified_gmt":"2025-07-19T19:55:28","slug":"the-legendary-an-124-had-been-grounded-for-years-but-now-its-back-in-the-sky","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/the-legendary-an-124-had-been-grounded-for-years-but-now-its-back-in-the-sky\/","title":{"rendered":"The legendary An-124 had been grounded for years, but now it’s back in the sky."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Resurgence of the Antonov AN-124: A Symbol of Ukrainian Resilience<\/h2>\n

Inherited from the Soviet Union, \u00a0Ukraine\u00a0 boasts two of the \u00a0largest aircraft\u00a0 in the world, not counting the monumental Stratolaunch. On one side lies the \u00a0Antonov AN-225\u00a0, a colossal cargo aircraft recognized for its immense load capacity, capable of transporting \u00a0spaceships\u00a0 on its back. On the other hand, the \u00a0Antonov AN-124\u00a0, a slightly smaller cargo model, has recently taken to the skies once more amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.<\/p>\n

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The return of the AN-124 heralds much more than a mere aviation feat; it symbolizes Ukraine’s undying strength and resilience in the face of adversity.<\/p>\n

Legacy of Soviet Titans<\/h2>\n

In the midst of the \u00a0Cold War\u00a0, a crucial competition arose in the realm of military aviation. In 1968, the \u00a0United States\u00a0 unveiled the \u00a0Lockheed C-5 Galaxy\u00a0, claiming the title of the world’s largest aircraft designed for troop transport. The Soviet Union promptly began working on its counterpart, leading to the creation of two companies: \u00a0Aviastar-SP\u00a0 in Ulyanovsk, Russia, and \u00a0Aviant\u00a0 in Kyiv, Ukraine. The outcome was the magnificent \u00a0Antonov AN-124\u00a0, introduced in 1986.<\/p>\n

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The AN-124, with its imposing demeanor, bears a striking resemblance to the C-5 Galaxy, yet it is larger. Merely two years later, the \u00a0Antonov AN-225 Mriya\u00a0 made its debut, featuring six powerful engines and a wingspan so vast that it was prohibited from landing at 65% of airports worldwide. This aircraft was not just a cargo plane; it was specifically designed for transporting Soviet space shuttles such as \u00a0Bur\u00e1n\u00a0 and other components of the Soviet space program.<\/p>\n

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\"An<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Battle of Antonov Airport<\/h2>\n

When the conflict in Ukraine escalated, both the \u00a0AN-225\u00a0 and the \u00a0AN-124 (registration U-82073)\u00a0 became stranded at \u00a0Hostomel Airport\u00a0. Flights were suspended for obvious safety reasons, leaving these legendary aircraft to face an uncertain fate. The AN-225, a marvel of engineering that had previously captivated the globe, was severely damaged. Initially reported as intact, subsequent assessments confirmed its destruction, transforming it from a mere aircraft into a powerful symbol of Ukraine\u2019s struggles and ambitions.<\/p>\n

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\"Antonov
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UR-82073: A Symbol of Resistance<\/h2>\n

While the AN-124 is not unique globally\u2014Russia operates several units and other countries possess their own\u2014the \u00a0UR-82073\u00a0 has emerged as another emblem of Ukrainian tenacity. Unlike its larger counterpart, this aircraft survived the bombings. For three years, it was grounded and partially disassembled. Yet, Antonov’s team worked diligently, aiming to modernize it by replacing essential Russian components with those from Ukraine and Western nations. Remarkably, the modernized \u00a0AN-124-100 Ruslan\u00a0, now dubbed \u00a0IRPIN\u00a0, took to the skies again.<\/p>\n

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\"Antonov
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A Symbolic Flight<\/h2>\n

With a nose adorned with the phrase “Be Brave Like Irpin,” the aircraft boasts advanced avionics that meet contemporary standards. \u00a0IRPIN\u00a0 is named after a Ukrainian city that played a pivotal role in the early phases of the war. On July 11, the aircraft took to the skies, notably without its transponder for fear of detection by Russian forces.<\/p>\n

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The transponder is crucial for relaying real-time information regarding the aircraft\u2019s whereabouts, and Ukraine sought to ensure that the \u00a0UR-82073\u00a0 could fly undetected. Its destination? Leipzig, Germany, where \u00a0Antonov\u00a0 will establish its new operations base.<\/p>\n

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\n\"Antonov
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Recently, \u00a0Antonov\u00a0 shared a video showcasing this remarkable accomplishment, emphasizing that the relocation of the \u00a0Ruslan\u00a0 was not purely technical but instead a representation of resilience, expertise, and unity among Ukrainian aerospace engineers. The modernized \u00a0Ruslan\u00a0 will continue to contribute to Ukraine\u2019s standing in the international arena.<\/p>\n

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The Future of AN-225<\/h2>\n

The return of the AN-124 is undoubtedly a victory, but the question remains: what about the AN-225? While primarily focused on reconstructing Ukraine, there is a second incomplete AN-225 fuselage that has been preserved since the \u00a0Soviet era\u00a0. In July 2024, \u00a0David Lomdzharia\u00a0, president of Ukraine\u2019s state defense conglomerate, announced intentions to rebuild the AN-225 Mriya, a project that could cost around \u00a0500 million euros\u00a0.<\/p>\n

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Reconstructing the AN-225 would serve more as a \u00a0symbolic endeavor\u00a0 rather than a practical one. However, the details of such a project remain uncertain, as no concrete timelines have been shared publicly. Regardless, the spirit behind these efforts stands as a testament to Ukraine’s unwavering resolve in the face of adversity.<\/p>\n

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In Xataka | Something extraordinary has happened in Ukraine: for the first time, an unmanned boat has knocked down Russian combat planes.<\/p>\n\n

General News – 2<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Resurgence of the Antonov AN-124: A Symbol of Ukrainian Resilience Inherited from the Soviet Union, \u00a0Ukraine\u00a0 boasts two of the \u00a0largest aircraft\u00a0 in the world, not counting the monumental Stratolaunch. On one side lies the \u00a0Antonov AN-225\u00a0, a colossal cargo aircraft recognized for its immense load capacity, capable of transporting \u00a0spaceships\u00a0 on its back. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":156862,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36399],"tags":[39172,5585,8623,6955,45],"class_list":["post-156861","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-an124","tag-grounded","tag-legendary","tag-sky","tag-years"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156861","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156861"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156861\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/156862"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156861"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156861"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156861"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}