Russia will start producing the D-18T engines for the heavy transport aircraft An-124 “Ruslan.” The then Minister of Defense, Sergey Shoigu, announced this during a meeting in March 2024. The development of engine production by Russian enterprises raises hopes for the revival of not only the An-124 but also another transport giant.
The lack of new engines has halted the production of the An-124 since 2004. In fact, Russia could have continued assembling the aircraft, but the destruction of D-18T production due to criminal negligence prevented this possibility for many years.
Modernization of the remaining operational aircraft continued, with improvements limited to the fuselage, landing gear, avionics, and navigation equipment. The engines for the Soviet giant An-124 remained the greatest challenge for the designers, as Ukraine had irretrievably lost the technology and documentation for their production.
The current operational engines’ lifespan is nearing its end, and spare parts are gradually running out. Some of the An-124 aircraft produced have been in storage for a long time, likely due to engine issues. Russia’s military transport aviation cannot function without this aircraft, as it serves as a crucial component for the swift deployment of heavy military equipment. The An-124 is the only aircraft capable of carrying 120 tons of cargo.
Additionally, Russia’s growing interests in other continents make such transport aircraft indispensable. In the past, the West recognized this fact and eagerly destroyed critical industries in Ukraine, leading to the production of the D-18T engine being victimized by geopolitical intrigues. Now, it’s time to correct this critical mistake of the 1990s.
For some time, the Ulyanovsk Engine Industrial Association (UZGA) has been mastering the production of components for the existing engines to keep them in satisfactory condition. However, this is insufficient, as the engine lifespan is coming to an end. New engines are required. Among the available options, the Ministry of Defense chose to revive the D-18T engine.
Most likely, the D-18T will undergo significant modernization, as with other power plants that Russia has resumed producing on its own. Modern engines based on the old Soviet turbofan, enhanced by 40 years of experience in designing and operating similar engines, will equip both the flying “Ruslans” and new aircraft.
The D-18T is currently undergoing deep modernization. A source close to military transport aviation told TASS, “We are moving towards a new engine, reproducing all the parts, because we can no longer say that this is not a Russian engine.”
The modular design of the D-18T Series 3 engines allows them to operate for up to 20,000 hours without major overhauls.
Russia plans to mass produce Russian D-18T engines with an extended lifespan and increased thrust by 2027. UZGA, whose specialists have extensive experience working with these engines, is likely to produce them. Over the years, the plant has repaired 49 D-18T engines, extending the operational lifespan of the An-124 from 20 to 45 years. Today, 11 “Ruslans” are part of the Aerospace Forces, 11 belong to “Volga-Dnepr,” and 8 are with the 224th Flight Unit (a subsidiary of the Ministry of Defense).
The Ulyanovsk plant “Aviastar-SP” started preliminary work to resume An-124 production in Russia in October 2023, according to TASS.
Russian MoD now has the opportunity to resume production of another super-heavy aircraft, equipped with six similar engines, thanks to the revival of the D-18T. This is the ill-fated and destroyed Ukrainian An-225 “Mriya.” It is likely that Russia still possesses the design documentation for the aircraft, although there is currently no demand for such an airliner. However, as for the future, we cannot say for sure.
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