Antonov An-124 Ruslan [kód NATO: Condor]

An-124 Ruslan and SALIS

The project SALIS (Strategic Air Lift Interim Solution, later Strategic Airlift International Solution) arose on the basis of the conclusions of the prague NATO summit (2002), which specifies the requirements of the so-called PCC (Prague Capabilities Commitment), which included, inter alia, the requirement for so-called secured access to strategic air transport capabilities. The specific implementation was based on memorandum signed by the majority of NATO member states including the Czech republic in 2004. Its essence is to ensure the strategic air transport, especially heavy military equipment, and oversized cargo via civilian air carriers operating transport aircraft An-124 Ruslan.

The relevant contract with effect from January 2006 on behalf of the member countries of NATO concluded the Agency NAMSA (NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency, today, the NSPA - NATO Support and Procurement Agency) with the company Ruslan SALIS GmbH, which was an association of airlines Volga-Dnepr Airlines (Russia) and Antonov Design Bureau (Ukraine) has engaged in a giant transport aircraft An-124-100 Ruslan. The daily activity of the program SALIS coordinates the international military organization SALCC (Strategic Air Lift Coordination Cell). The member countries of NATO, including the Czech republic, in the past used the project mainly to supply its troops in Afghanistan, but also in other destinations. Average need flight hours in the two-way journey from the Czech republic to Afghanistan amounted to about 19 hours of flight time.

The main advantage of this contract is that it guarantees to the participants of the project continued availability of up to six aircraft An-124 (permanent lease of two aircraft An-124 the benefit of the participants and further delivery of the other two aircraft in three days and the other two to nine days, and without regard to any competitive civil contract). In addition, any of the signatories SALIS is within 72 hours of the two available transport of the machine in any convenient airport in the world. Ruslany earmarked for the needs of the project SALIS have a home base at the airport Leipzig/Halle. In addition to the 17 european states of NATO into the project SALIS joined Canada and two non-NATO countries (Finland and Sweden). Since then, the number of participating NATO countries gradually reduced, until in 2020 amounted to nine states. If necessary, you may delivery company to provide air transport aircraft also the An-225, the Il-76 or even An-22.

In 2010, flew the aircraft project SALIS more than three thousand flying hours, during which the airline carried more than 17,000 tons of material. Czech republic in this period benefited from approximately 60 flight hours per year. Between the years 2006 to 2013 conducted by the Army of the Czech republic company Ruslan SALIS GmbH 56 flights, in which it was transported over 4 200 tons of material.

As a result of the crimean crisis and the war in eastern Ukraine in 2014, in the original Russian-the Ukrainian joint venture Ruslan SALIS GmbH began to appear cracks, which culminated in the acrimonious split two years later. From the beginning of the year 2017, therefore, NATO's program SALIS objednávalo air transport not only at the Ruslan SALIS GmbH (operated now only Volga-Dnepr Airlines), but newly also by the Antonov SALIS GmbH (Antonov Design Bureau). From 1. January 2019 the project SALIS ensured only by the Antonov Logistics SALIS GmbH, where he has a 51% share of Antonov Airlines. The rest belongs to German logistics firm Aircargonet International GmbH.

Source:
https://www.army.cz
www.bundeswehr-journal.de

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