- Side
- EgyptSyria
Soviet Military Transport Aviation used An-22 sorties in the 1973 Arab-Israeli war airlift from the USSR to the Middle East, moving personnel, cargo, military equipment, and weapons for Egypt and Syria.
Support Equipment
An-22
Also known as
- Antonov An-22
- AN-22
- An-22 Antei
- An-22 Antey
- Antei
- Antey
- Antheus
- NATO reporting name Cock
- Cock
The An-22 is an Antonov-designed Soviet heavy military transport aircraft built around four Kuznetsov NK-12MA turboprops and rough-field heavy-lift operations. Antonov records its first flight on 27 February 1965, serial production at Tashkent from 1965 to 1976, and later use as an outsized component carrier for the An-124 and An-225 programs.
Role in Conflicts
- Side
- Soviet Union and Afghan government forces
Soviet forces used An-22s in the initial Kabul airlift and later regular Afghanistan transport missions carrying military cargo, food, and personnel; open sources also describe An-22 crews adapting steep approaches and departures at Afghan airfields under MANPADS threat.
- Side
- Russia
A Tver-based An-22 is described as one of the first aircraft to land at Grozny airport after Russian forces retook it in 1995, applying airfield procedures learned during Afghan operations.
- Side
- Ukraine
Antonov Airlines An-22A UR-09307 was substantially damaged while parked at Kyiv-Gostomel during Russia's February 24, 2022 attempt to seize the airport; this row documents a Ukraine-war ground-damage case, not confirmed operational sorties.
Role detailsProfile / Specs
Profile
- Origin
- Soviet Union / Ukraine
- Built in
- Soviet UnionUzbekistan
- Type
- Heavy turboprop military transport aircraft
- Service note
- Cold War strategic airlifter with post-Soviet heavy-cargo and military transport service
- Designer
- Antonov Design Bureau
- Designed
- 1960-1965
- Produced
- 1965-1976
- Number built
- 66 serial aircraft according to Antonov; 68 commonly reported when prototypes are included
Specifications
- Crew
- 5
- Configuration
- Four-engine high-wing turboprop transport with twin tail
- Engines
- 4 x Kuznetsov NK-12MA turboprops with eight-blade contra-rotating propellers
- Length
- 57.84 m
- Wingspan
- 64.40 m
- Height
- 12.54 m
- Wing area
- 345 sq m
- Cruise speed
- 580 km/h
- Operational range
- 5,225 km
- Operational ceiling
- 9,100 m
- Maximum takeoff weight
- 250,000 kg
- Maximum payload
- Up to 80 tonnes
Heavy-Lift Design Notes
The An-22 combined a high-mounted wing, four NK-12MA turboprops with contra-rotating propellers, a large rear loading ramp, and landing gear suited to austere fields. Its cargo role centered on loads too bulky for smaller transports, including heavy vehicles and large aircraft components.
Rough-field role
Antonov emphasizes the aircraft's ability to operate from unpaved runways while carrying large cargo to remote areas.
External loads
The Antei later carried An-124 and An-225 wing assemblies externally between Tashkent and Kyiv.
Variants
The An-22 family includes the baseline transport, the improved An-22A, external-load conversion work, and several unbuilt studies.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| An-22A | Improved production transport | Updated production standard with equipment and systems changes; GlobalSecurity describes state testing in 1972 and later production at Tashkent. Sources: GlobalSecurity An-22 variants |
| An-22PZ | Oversized component carrier conversion | External-load conversion used to move large Antonov wing sections for the An-124 and An-225 programs. Sources: Antonov AN-22 history, GlobalSecurity An-22 variants |
| An-22 Amphibian | Unbuilt amphibious transport study | Projected water-capable transport variant studied from the Model 100/An-22 design but not produced. Sources: GlobalSecurity An-22 variants |
Timeline
An-22 Key Events
Model 100 development authorized
Antonov dates the Soviet decision to develop the Model 100 military transport aircraft to 13 October 1960.
Sources: Antonov AN-22 history
First flight
The AN-22 Antei made its first flight with Yurii Kurlin leading the test crew.
Sources: Antonov AN-22 history
Tashkent production ordered
The Soviet aviation ministry ordered An-22 series production at the Valerii Chkalov Aviation Production Association in Tashkent.
Sources: Antonov AN-22 history
Paris Air Show debut
The AN-22 arrived at Le Bourget for the 26th International Paris Air Show.
Sources: Antonov AN-22 history
Payload-altitude record
Antonov records the aircraft lifting more than 100 tonnes to 7,848 m, one of the Antei program's record-setting flights.
Sources: Antonov AN-22 history
Outsized Antonov component transport begins
Antonov says the Antei began carrying oversized components for the An-124 and later An-225 programs.
Sources: Antonov AN-22 history
Antonov Airlines An-22A damaged at Hostomel
Aviation Safety Network records substantial damage to An-22A UR-09307 while it was standing at Kyiv-Gostomel during Russia's assault on the airport.
Sources: ASN An-22A UR-09307 Hostomel damage
Related Weapon Systems
Sources
Antonov AN-22 historyPublisher: Antonov | Note: Supports AN-22 identity, military transport role, first flight, Tashkent production, 66-aircraft serial total, dimensions, flight characteristics, chronology, and Antei oversized-component transport work. | Accessed: 2026-07-02SKYbrary AN22 technical dataPublisher: SKYbrary Aviation Safety | Note: Supports aircraft configuration, Antonov manufacturer attribution, NATO reporting name, turboprop powerplant, maximum takeoff weight, and cross-checked dimensions and performance. | Accessed: 2026-07-02GlobalSecurity An-22 variantsPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports An-22A modernization context, variant and proposal names, and the baseline/An-22A production split. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Technik Museum Speyer Antonov An-22Publisher: Technik Museum Speyer | Note: Supports museum-displayed An-22 dimensions, crew, range, engines, rough-field capability, and Speyer landing context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02The Air War In AfghanistanPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports 1979 Soviet-Afghan War direct conflict-use context by naming An-22 aircraft in the Soviet airlift that brought assault troops and equipment into Kabul. | Accessed: 2026-07-02An-22 Antei combat employmentPublisher: Ispytateli / testpilot.ru | Note: Supports direct An-22 airlift and transport use in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, 1979 Soviet-Afghan War, and 1994 First Chechen War. | Accessed: 2026-07-02ASN An-22A UR-09307 Hostomel damagePublisher: Aviation Safety Network | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct conflict-use context by documenting substantial damage to Antonov Airlines An-22A UR-09307 at Kyiv-Gostomel during the February 24, 2022 Russian attack. | Accessed: 2026-07-02World Airline News Hostomel damage surveyPublisher: World Airline News | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct conflict-use context by reporting Antonov's Hostomel damage survey after the airport was liberated from Russian forces. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Wikimedia Commons Antonov An-22 1Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the primary An-22 photo by Dmitry A. Mottl, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported or GFDL. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Wikimedia Commons An-22 Cock CCCP-09334Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the Monino An-22 CCCP-09334 photo by Alan Wilson, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Wikimedia Commons An-22 Speyer displayPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the Technik Museum Speyer An-22 display photo by Clemens Vasters, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Wikimedia Commons An-22 unpaved landing videoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Media provenance for an Antonov Company An-22 unpaved-runway landing video imported from YouTube and reviewed on Commons. | Accessed: 2026-07-02