A fleet of 80 such aircraft, dubbed PAK TA, will be built by 2024 and will be capable of transferring 400 Armata heavy missile tanks or 900 light armored vehicles with ammunition to the American continent or Australia in 7-8 hours, according to the media outlet, which cited a military source who attended a closed meeting of the Military-Industrial Commission in Moscow.
One PAK TA aircraft can transport five heavy missile tanks, anti-aircraft missile complexes, multiple launch missile systems, and anti-tank missile fighting vehicles, without refueling a distance of 4,350 miles, the source elaborated.
Expert Online added that the ambitious PAK TA project will include a family of medium to super-heavy aircraft.
The heaviest of the aircraft will significantly exceed the carrying threshold of the existing Antonov An-124 Ruslan, an aircraft with up to 165 tons payload.
