Europe Considers Modernizing Ukrainian An-124 "Ruslan" Aircraft for NATO Military Logistics
Kyiv • UNN
A European study found no complete replacement for the An-124-100 for heavy military cargo. A decision may be made in October.
European countries are considering modernizing Ukraine’s An-124-100 "Ruslan" transport aircraft as the most realistic short-term solution for transporting heavy and oversized military cargo. After 18 months of research, experts have effectively found no full-fledged alternative to these aircraft, Defense Express reports, citing Opex360, writes UNN.
Details
The project in question is ESOCA – the "European System for Oversized Cargo Air Transport," launched by the European Commission in January 2025.
The €20 million study was funded by Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Finland, Poland, and the Netherlands. Based on its results, one of the key options was investment in the deep modernization of Ukraine’s An-124-100 aircraft to extend their service life.
Europe has found no full-fledged replacement for the "Ruslans"
Another proposed option is the development of a European analogue of the American C-17 military transport aircraft. However, this is a long-term project, whereas Europe needs to address the issue of strategic airlift now.
Earlier, Airbus proposed using the A300-600ST Beluga, but the experiment involving the transport of oversized military cargo was discontinued in early 2025 due to the lack of an economically viable model. The involvement of American and British C-17s is also not considered a reliable long-term solution.
The participating countries plan to make a final decision between modernizing Ukraine’s "Ruslans" and developing a new European aircraft during the "Strategic Airlift Days" in Brussels on October 21–22.
Europeans are seeking a solution with prospects extending into the 2040s, so the modernization of the An-124-100 should primarily extend the aircraft’s service life and preserve them for strategic military logistics.