Turkey and Ukraine Proceed with An-188 Transport Aircraft Program

Introduction

At Eurasia Airshow 2018, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Ukroboronprom’s (UOP) Antonov jointly announced that they would proceed with the development and production of Antonov’s An-188 military transport aircraft.[1] The announcement follows an earlier agreement signed by the governments of Turkey and Ukraine in 2016 to jointly manufacture airliners and transport aircraft.[2]

Antonov revealed the An-188 during the 2015 Paris Air Show as a turbofan-engine variant of the An-70, which had originally been slated (in the 1990s and 2000s) as a propfan-based competitor to the Airbus A400M Atlas.[3] At the time, Antonov could not commit to a firm date as to when the An-188 would fly, but it had always intended to configure the An-188 with Western-origin engines and onboard electronics.[4]

The joint-production agreement between Antonov and TAI both maintains this framework, but it extends it as well by promising a ‘NATO-standard’ aircraft. Based on Ukroboronprom’s press statement, Antonov’s commitment to NATO compliance involves “westernization of all components, implementation of modern and reliable technical solutions, as well as full compliance with NATO standards.”[5]

The An-188 has the essential inputs – i.e. a credible funding source and launch customer in the form of Turkey, pursuit of existing turbofan engines and electronics and Antonov’s expertise – to materialize. As per Ukroboronprom’s press statement, TAI and Antonov will proceed to the “practical implementation of the project (An-188) in the near future.”[6] However, specific timelines have not been provided.

The Antonov An-188

Antonov originally revealed the An-188 during the 2015 Paris Air Show. The An-188 was to be a variant of the ill-fated (but potentially returning) An-70 propfan-based military transport aircraft. However, instead of using the Motor Sich D-27 propfan engines currently on the An-70, the An-188 was slated to use four Western-origin turbofan engines along with Western avionics and other onboard electronics.[7] The An-188 was not simply a ‘Westernized An-70’, but a separate (but related) platform with enlarged wings.[8] With TAI committing to NATO-standards, Antonov’s original plan for the An-188 will remain.

According to Ukroboronprom, the TAI-Antonov An-188 will have a payload capacity of 50 tons, which can translate into carrying most kinds of cargo including helicopters, containers, troops and other items.[9] In addition, the An-188 will be designed to operate from runways as short as 600 to 800 m.[10] The An-188 will leverage the short take-off and landing (STOL) capability to undertake an array of mission profiles, from military-lift to humanitarian operations in relatively inaccessible areas.[11] Finally, the An-188’s turbofan engines will offer long-range flight and fuel-efficiency for competitive lifecycle and operating costs.[12]

Based on these specifications, the An-188 will possess a heavier payload capacity than the C-130J-30 (20 tons) and the Airbus A400M (37 tons). It appears that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) foresee the An-188 as a strategic airlifter different in intended scope and role from the A400M or C-130. In fact, Turkey already operates the A400M and is among the Atlas’ industrial workshare partners.[13] Thus, it is unlikely TAI would compete with not just its own product, but a key program of its industry partners in the European Union.

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[1] Press Release. “An-188: Turkish-Ukrainian Aircraft in Accordance with NATO Standards”. UkrOboronProm. 03 May 2018. URL: http://ukroboronprom.com.ua/en/media/ostanni-novyny/an-188-spilnyj-ukrayinsko-turetskyj-litak-za-standartamy-nato.html (Last Accessed: 16 May 2018).

[2] “Turkey and Ukraine sign joint plane manufacturing project”. Daily Sabah. 15 May 2016. URL: https://www.dailysabah.com/business/2016/05/16/turkey-and-ukraine-sign-joint-plane-manufacturing-project (Last Accessed: 16 May 2018).

[3] Nicholas de Larrinaga. “Paris Air Show 2015: Antonov reveals An-188 strategic transport aircraft.” IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly. 16 June 2015. URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20160604104242/http://www.janes.com/article/52287/paris-air-show-2015-antonov-reveals-an-188-strategic-transport-aircraft (Last Accessed: 22 May 2018).

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Press Release. Ukroboronprom. May 2018.

[7] Larrinaga. IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly. June 2015.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Press Release. UkrOboronProm. May 2018.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Press Release. “Airbus Military Has Signed MoU with Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) to Establish A Joint Company in Turkey.” Airbus Military. 28 June 2012. via Defense-Aerospace. URL: http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/136415/airbus-military%2C-tai-plan-joint-company-in-turkey.html (Last Accessed: 16 May 2018).