Antonov (d/b/a Antonov Company, formerly the Aeronautical Scientific-Technical Complex named after Antonov or Antonov ASTC, and earlier the Antonov Design Bureau, for its chief designer, Oleg Antonov) is a Ukrainian aircraft manufacturing and services company. Antonov's particular expertise is in the fields of very large aeroplanes and aeroplanes using unprepared runways. Antonov (model prefix "An-") has built a total of approximately 22,000 aircraft, and thousands of its planes are operating in the former Soviet Union and in developing countries.
Antonov Company is a state-owned commercial company originally established in Novosibirsk, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR). In 1952, the company relocated to Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, then part of the Soviet Union. On 12 May 2015, it was transferred from the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade to the Ukroboronprom (Ukrainian Defense Industry).
In June 2016, Ukraine's major state-owned arms manufacturer Ukroboronprom announced the creation of the Ukrainian Aircraft Corporation within its structure, to combine all aircraft manufacturing enterprises in Ukraine.
History
Soviet era
thumb|[[Antonov An-2, mass-produced Soviet utility aeroplane.]]
thumb|right|[[Antonov A-15 in Czech markings]]
Foundation and relocation
The company was established in 1946 at the Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association as the top-secret Soviet Research and Design Bureau No. 153 (OKB-153). It was headed by Oleg Antonov and specialised in turboprop military transport aircraft. The task was to create an agricultural aircraft CX-1 (An-2), the first flight of which occurred on 31 August 1947. The An-2 biplane was a major achievement of this period, with hundreds of these aircraft still operating as of 2013.
The end of the Cold War and perestroika allowed the Antonov company's first step to commercialisation and foreign expansion. In 1989, the Antonov Airlines subsidiary was created for its own aircraft maintenance and cargo projects.
Independent Ukraine
Antonov Design Bureau remained a state-owned company after Ukraine achieved its independence in 1991 and is since regarded as a strategic national asset.
Since independence, Antonov has certified and marketed both Soviet-era and newly developed models for sale in new markets outside of the former soviet sphere of influence. New models introduced to serial production and delivered to customers include the Antonov An-140, Antonov An-148 and Antonov An-158 regional airliners.
Among several modernisation projects, Antonov received orders for upgrading "hundreds" of its An-2 utility planes still in operation in Azerbaijan, Cuba and Russia to the An-2-100 upgrade version.
In 2014, following the annexation of the Crimea by Russia, Ukraine cancelled contracts with Russia, leading to a significant income reduction in Ukraine's defense and aviation industries. However Ukraine has been slowly recovering the deficit from breaking ties with Russia by entering new markets such as the Persian Gulf region and expanding its presence in old ones such as India.
In July 2018, Antonov was able to secure a deal with Boeing to procure airplane parts which were no longer available due to breakdown of relations with Russia.
Production facilities' consolidation
During the Soviet period, not all Antonov-designed aircraft were manufactured by the company itself. This was a result of Soviet industrial strategy that split military production between different regions of the Soviet Union to minimise potential war loss risks. As a result, Antonov aeroplanes were often assembled by the specialist contract manufacturers.
In 2009, the once-independent "Aviant" aeroplane-assembling plant in Kyiv became part of Antonov, facilitating a full serial manufacturing cycle of the company. However, the old tradition of co-manufacturing with contractors is continued, both with Soviet-time partners and with new licensees like Iran's Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company.
In 2014, Antonov produced and delivered only two An-158 airplanes. This trend continued into 2015, producing one An-148 and one An-158. Aircraft production came to an effective standstill following the deterioration of relations with Russia, as all aircraft in production were heavily reliant on Russian suppliers and expertise.
{| class="wikitable"
|+National contributions in the development of Antonov aircraft (%)
On 19 July 2017, the Ukrainian government approved the liquidation of Antonov's assets. The State Concern "Antonov" (a business group, created in 2005 from the merger of several legally independent companies into a single economic entity under unified management) will be liquidated as a residual corporate entity. Antonov State Company, Kharkiv State Aviation Manufacturing Enterprise and Plant No.410 of Civil Aviation were transferred under the management of another state-owned concern Ukroboronprom in 2015. Antonov State Company continues to function as an enterprise.
On 31 March 2017, the first prototype of a new multifunctional cargo plane An-132 – a demonstration plane An-132D – took to the air from the runway of Sviatoshyn airfield. The An-132 development program had been implemented in the framework of a contract with a customer from Saudi Arabia.
On 24 February 2022, at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in Ukraine, the first attacks were launched at Kyiv-Antonov-2 airfield, the site of Antonov's test flights and home base of the planes of Antonov Airlines. The Аn-225 Mriya, An-26, An-74 and administrative premises were destroyed. Other aircraft – Аn-12, Аn-22, Аn-28, Аn-132D and Аn-124-100-150 – along with hangars and other infrastructure were severely damaged.
The Security Service of Ukraine established that the former director general of Antonov Company Serhiy Bychkov had not provided access to the site for the National Guard in January and February 2022 and thus obstructed preparations for defence. The investigators considered that Bychkov's negligence is the direct cause of the loss of Mriya, because the plane could have been sent to Germany long before February 24. In March 2023, Serhiy Bychkov was arrested, in April he faced formal suspicion in connection with the loss of An-225 Mriya and damages to Antonov amounting to ₴8.4 million.
An An-124 that had been undergoing modernization at Hostomel Airport during the initial Russian invasion was flown out in July 2025.
Composition
- Antonov Serial Production Plant (formerly Kyiv Aviation Factory "Aviant") – Kyiv
- Kharkiv Aviation Factory – Kharkiv
- Civil Aviation Factory 441 – Kyiv
Airfields
- Sviatoshyn Airfield, Aviant factory in Kyiv
- Hostomel Airport, freight airport in Hostomel
Products and activities
thumb|LT-10 tram
thumb|Kyiv-12 trolley bus
Fields of commercial activity of Antonov ASTC include:
- Aircraft design and manufacturing
- Cargo air transport (Antonov Airlines)
- Aircraft maintenance, testing, certification and upgrading
- Aerospace-related research and engineering
- "Aerial Launch": a joint Russian-Ukrainian project of midair spacecraft space launch from aboard a modified version of the An-225.
- Operation of the Hostomel airport (Antonov Airport)
- Light metro RADAN
- Construction of LT-10A trams (with aluminium body)
- Construction and manufacturing of Kyiv-12 trolley buses (a spin-off, using existing technical expertise).
Major contractors and partners
Contract and licensee manufacturers
- Tashkent Aviation Production Association (formerly Tashkent State Aviation Plant) – Tashkent, Uzbekistan
- Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA) – Shahin Shahr, Iran
Additionally, Antonov has produced airliners. It has also produced numerous variants of both transports and airliners, for operations ranging from air freight hauling to military reconnaissance, command and control operations.
|-
| An-77
|
| –
| proposed modernized version of An-70 with Western avionics and engines
|-
| An-124
| Ruslan
| 1982
| strategic airlifter; largest aircraft ever mass-produced
|-
| An-140
|
| 1997
| short-range turboprop airliner, to replace An-24
|-
| An-148
|
| 2004
| regional jet for 68–85 passengers
|-
| An-158
|
| 2010
| stretched version of An-148 for 99 passengers
|-
| An-168
|
| 2010
| business variant of An-148; now called An-148-300
|-
| An-170
|
| –
| proposed enlarged version of An-70
|-
| An-171
|
| –
| proposed maritime patrol version of An-170
|-
| An-178
|
| 2015
| medium military transport based on the An-158
|-
| An-188
|
| –
| proposed medium military transport based on An-70; basically a Westernized An-70 with turbojet engines
|-
| An-196
| Liutyi
| 2022
| UAV
|-
| An-225
| Mriya
| 1988
| An-124 derived strategic airlifter. The largest aircraft ever built; only one put into service. Destroyed in the Battle of Antonov Airport in February 2022.
|-
| An-714
|
| 1970
| modification of An-14 with air cushion landing gear
|-
| An-BK-1
|Horlytsya
| 2017
| planned multipurpose UAV
|-
| T-2M
|Maverick
| 1990
| ultralight trike for recreational club use and special forces requirements
|-
|}
Cancelled/Prototypes
{| class="wikitable sortable" width="100%"
|- style="background:#efefef;"
! Aircraft
! Name
! data-sort-type="number" | Status
! Remarks
|-
|-
| '400'
|
| Cancelled
| projected military transport/cargo freighter (1980)
|-
| '404 transport'
|
| Cancelled
| projected cargo freighter (1975)
|-
| '404P'
|
| Cancelled
| projected airliner (1975)
|-
| '500'
|
| Cancelled
| projected military transport/cargo freighter (1980)
|-
| '600'
|
| Cancelled
| projected military transport/cargo freighter (1980)
|-
| '700'
|
| Cancelled
| projected military transport/cargo freighter (1980)
|-
| 'AE'
|
|Cancelled
| proposed liaison aircraft (1954)
|-
| 'B'
|
|Cancelled
| experimental air trailer (tow glider); also known as VP
|-
| 'E'
|
|Cancelled
| projected sport aircraft (1954)
|-
| E-153
|
|Cancelled
| flying testbed for aircraft 'M'
|-
| 'M'
| Masha
|Cancelled
| projected jet fighter (1947)
|-
| 'N'
|
|Cancelled
| 1953 projected twin turboprop airliner based on the An-8; cancelled in favor of the An-10
|-
| 'P'
|
|Cancelled
| projected twin jet engine transport based on the An-8
|-
| 'R'
|
|Cancelled
| projected twin-engine double deck transport (1948)
|-
| 'SKV'
|Partizanskii
|Cancelled
| projected STOL military transport (1948)
|-
| 'Yu'
|
|Cancelled
| projected large double-deck turboprop transport
|-
| A-6
|
| Cancelled
| projected training/sports aircraft version of 'AE'
|-
| An-3 (II)
|
| Cancelled
| In an effort to replace the An-2SKh and following the failure of the WSK-Mielec M-15, a turboprop version was proposed with a new fuselage featuring a hunchback for the cockpit and an An-2M tail. Cancelled as too ambitious.
|-
| An-16
|
| Cancelled
| projected stretched variant of An-10
|-
| An-18
|
| Cancelled
| military transport (1950s)
|-
| An-20
|
| Cancelled
| projected large turboprop transport; cancelled in favor of VT-22
|-
| An-20
|
| Cancelled
| trainer; competitor to the Yak-30 and L-29
|-
| An-25
|
| Cancelled
| anti-balloon aircraft
|-
| An-26
|
| Cancelled
| projected airliner (1957)
|-
| An-30
|
| Cancelled
| development of An-14A
|-
| An-32
|
| Cancelled
| projected VTOL military transport (1968)
|-
| An-36
|
| Cancelled
| projected VTOL military transport (1972)
|-
| An-38
|
| Cancelled
| projected VTOL military transport (1972)
|-
| An-40
|
| Cancelled
| military transport developed from An-12
|-
| An-42
|
|Cancelled
| version of An-40 with boundary layer control
|-
| An-44
|
| Cancelled
| cargo aircraft project developed from An-24
|-
| An-46
|
| Cancelled
| projected military transport (1972)
|-
| An-49
|
| Cancelled
| projected aircraft for transporting orbital spacecraft (1982)
|-
| An-50
|
| Cancelled
| 1972 jetliner project, developed from An-24V
|-
| An-51
|
|Cancelled
| civil piston utility aircraft
|-
| An-52
|
| Cancelled
| light twin-piston aircraft
|-
| An-60
|
|Cancelled
| projected STOL military transport, using the Coandă effect (1968); later became the An-72/An-74
|-
| An-64
|
| Cancelled
| projected military transport (1960s)
|-
| An-75
|
| Cancelled
| proposed carrier-based derivative of An-71 (1983)
|-
| An-80
|
|Cancelled
| projected airliner version of An-72/An-74 (1978)
|-
| An-89
|
| Cancelled
| projected reconnaissance aircraft (1989)
|-
| An-90
|
| Cancelled
| projected airliner (1978)
|-
| An-91
|
| Cancelled
| twin-engine cabin monoplane development of Cessna 310
|-
| An-102
|
| Cancelled
| light agricultural aircraft project (1990)
|-
| An-104
|
| Cancelled
| light agricultural aircraft project (1992)
|-
| An-112
|
| Cancelled
| projected military transport (1971)
|-
| An-112KC
|
| Cancelled
| 2010 projected refueling tanker, co-developed with US Aerospace and based on the An-70. A competitor in the KC-X program, it was cancelled for being submitted too late, despite protests from US Aerospace.
|-
| An-122
|
| Cancelled
| Proposed 1966 development of An-22 with turbojet engines, a T-tail and swept wings. Developed as a response to the C-5 Galaxy, but cancelled in 1967 as it had no advantage over the An-22 and was inferior to the C-5.
|-
| An-122
|
| Cancelled
| projected military transport (1988)
|-
| An-125
|
| Cancelled
| heavy transport aircraft project (1970)
|-
| An-126
|
| Cancelled
| heavy transport aircraft project (1968)
|-
| An-126P
|
| Cancelled
| projected airliner (1968) <!-- civil version of An-126? -->
|-
| An-128
|
| Cancelled
| projected 2003 light passenger transport based on the An-28 and An-38
|-
| An-132
|
| Cancelled
| projected airliner (1963)
|-
| An-132
|
| Cancelled
| projected airliner (1974)
|-
| An-132
|
| Cancelled
| light transport aircraft based on An-32; cancelled in 2019
|-
| An-134
|
| Cancelled
| projected smaller version of An-124 without upper deck
|-
| An-142
|
| Cancelled
| projected AWACS aircraft based on An-124
|-
| An-142
|
| Cancelled
| projected cargo freighter version of An-140 (2001)
|-
| An-144
|
| Cancelled
| projected AWACS aircraft based on An-170 (1980s)
|-
| An-172
|
| Cancelled
| projected anti-submarine aircraft (1980s)
|-
| An-174
|
| Cancelled
| enlarged An-74 with engines below wings (2001)
|-
| An-180
|
| Cancelled
| projected medium propfan airliner, around 175 passengers (1989)
|-
| An-181
| Handiwork
| Cancelled
| experimental aircraft
|-
| An-218
|
| Cancelled
| projected propfan- or turbofan-powered widebody airliner (1991)
|-
| An-222
|
| Cancelled
| projected military transport (1988)
|-
| An-224
|
| Cancelled
| Original proposal of An-225 with rear cargo door
|-
| An-248
|
| Cancelled
| projected airliner version of An-225, to compete with the Airbus A380
|-
| An-274
|
|Cancelled
| projected cargo freighter (1985)
|-
| An-300
|
|Cancelled
| projected airliner (1975)
|-
| An-318
|
|Cancelled
|1991 trijet project to compete with the DC-10 and L-1011 TriStar
|-
| An-325
|
|Cancelled
| planned enlarged, eight-engine version of An-225, intended for launching spacecraft (1988)
|-
| An-418
|
|Cancelled
| 1989 projected airliner version of the An-124 to compete with the Airbus A380
|-
| An-Be-20
|
|Cancelled
|1964 small trijet airliner project to replace the Li-2, Il-12 and Il-14, developed in cooperation with Beriev. Cancelled in favor of the Yakovlev Yak-40, which was also in development at the time.
|-
| An-BSP
|
| Cancelled
| projected VTOL infantry combat aircraft (1972)
|-
| An-M
|
| Cancelled
| projected agricultural aircraft (1989)
|-
| An-M1
|
| Cancelled
| projected agricultural aircraft (1989)
|-
| DT-5/8
|
|Cancelled
| projected large twin-engine transport (1951)
|-
| GPS
|
| Cancelled
| small twin-engine utility transport
|-
| Pchela
|
|Cancelled
| projected STOL cargo/passenger aircraft (1955); precursor of An-14
|-
| Salamandra
|
|Cancelled
| projected fighter (1947); inspired by the He 162
|-
| STTS-500
|
| Cancelled
| projected cargo freighter (1984)
|-
| STVTS-500
|
| Cancelled
| projected military transport (1984)
|-
|}
Gliders
{| class="wikitable sortable" width="100%"
|- style="background:#efefef;"
! Aircraft
! Name
! Maiden flight
! Remarks
|-
| A-1
|
| 1930
|single-seat training glider
|-
| A-2
|
| 1942
|two-seat training glider derived from the US-6
|-
| A-3
| Molodv
| 1955
|
|-
| A-7
|
| 1941
| military glider
|-
| A-9
|
| 1948
|single-seat sailplane developed from the RF-7
|-
| A-10
|
| 1952
|two-seat sailplane developed from the A-9
|-
| A-11
|
| 1958
| record glider
|-
| A-13
|
| 1958
| aerobatic glider based on the A-11
|-
| A-15
|
| 1960
| record glider
|-
| A-17
|
| Cancelled
| proposed 1972 rocket glider
|-
| A-40
|Krylya Tanka<br>[Winged Tank]
| 1942
| flying tank
|-
| BA-1
|
| 1935
| experimental glider
|-
| BS-3
|
| 1934
| training glider based on the PS-2
|-
| BS-4
|
| 1935
| towed training glider based on the BS-3
|-
| BS-5 (OKA-31)
|
| 1936
| towed training glider based on the BS-4 and US-4
|-
| IP
|
| 1933
| experimental glider
|-
| LEM-2 (OKA-33)
|
| 1937
| motor glider
|-
| OKA-1
|Golub<br>[Dove]
| 1924
| single-seat glider
|-
| OKA-2
|
| 1925
| light single-seat glider based on OKA-1
|-
| OKA-3
|
| 1928
|
|-
| OKA-4
| Standart-1
| 1928
| experimental glider
|-
| OKA-5
| Standart-2
| 1928
| improved OKA-4
|-
|OKA-6
| Gorod Lenina<br>[City of Lenin]
| 1930
| record glider; led to the OKA-13 and OKA-14
|-
| OKA-7
| Bubik<br>[Bun]
| 1930
| training glider
|-
| OKA-13
| Shest uslovii Stalina<br>[Stalin's Six Conditions]
| 1932
| experimental glider based on OKA-14
|-
| OKA-14
|Dognat i peregna<br>[Catch Up and Overtake]
| 1932
| record glider developed from the OKA-6
|-
| OKA-21
|
| 1933
| training glider based on DiP
|-
| RE (OKA-22, OKA-24, OKA-29, OKA-30, OKA-31)
|
| 1933
| experimental glider
|-
| RF-1 (OKA-17)
|Rot Front-1
| 1933
|
|-
| RF-2 (OKA-18)
|Rot Front-2
| 1933
|
|-
| RF-3 (OKA-19)
|Rot Front-3
| 1933
|
|-
| RF-4 (OKA-20)
|Rot Front-4
| 1933
|
|-
| RF-5 (OKA-23)
|Rot Front-5
| 1934
|
|-
| RF-6 (OKA-28)
|Rot Front-6
| 1935
|
|-
| RF-7
|Rot Front-7
| 1937
|record glider
|-
| RF-8
|Rot Front-8
| 1941
|troop glider, enlarged RF-7; redesignated A-7
|-
| UPAR (OKA-11, OKA-12)
|
| 1932
| training sailplane
|-
| US-1 (OKA-8)
|
| 1931
|prototype training glider
|-
| US-2 (OKA-9)
|
| 1931
|training glider
|-
| US-3
|
| 1933
|training glider, first mass-produced Soviet glider
|-
| US-4
|
|
|training glider, redesignated A-1
|-
| US-5 (OKA-32)
|
| 1936
| training glider; two-seat version of US-4
|-
| US-6
|
|
|training glider; prototype for A-2
|}
See also
- List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS
Notes
References
Further reading
- MacFarquhar, Neil. "Aviation Giant Is Nearly Grounded in Ukraine." The New York Times. 12 October 2014. Corrected on 12 October 2014.
External links
- Antonov company history