Yesterday, MD Monitor reported an AN-124 aircraft (callsign: VD 4818) in ZDC airspace. The aircraft belongs to Volga-Dneiper Airlines. MM stated that this was a US Contract Airlines. Uh, excuse me. A Russian airline is a US Contract Airline?
This got my attention and after a bit of digging lo and behold the US Air Mobility Command has been chartering An-124 aircraft from Volga-Dnieper Airlines since 2003 for the transport of oversize cargo.
So what idiot and lunatic in the US State Department negotiated this deal?
To add insult to injury in February 2006, NATO signed a contract to lease the An-124, under the Strategic Airlift Interim Solution (SALIS), from Ruslan SALIS GmbH (representing Antonov and Volga-Dnepr). Two aircraft will be constantly based at Leipzig airport and four more will be available on request. The lease is for an initial three years, to be renewed yearly until 2012 when the A400M transport enters service. The Leipzig maintenance base was opened in January 2007.
The An-124 is designed for long-range delivery and air dropping of heavy- and large-size cargo, including machines, equipment and troops.
So AMC. What your saying by hiring the AN-124 is you have nothing in the US fleet that can meet your needs? So now you are using the assets of Russia, the country who's military has made this blog consistantly this year by rattling their military saber. The same bunch who has violated sovreign airspace of our allies, buzzed a US carrier, opposed this country on numerous diplomatic issues, and their reward? Give one of their government run airlines a fat lucrative contract to haul our US military stuff around. A definite Golden Fleece Award winner.
Just Damn!