These Soviet era airlifters represent a huge risk for any potential purchaser.

It is cheap and easy to occasionally charter an An-124, but there are huge risks associated with actually owning a fleet of these monsters.

I´ve read that several times but I´ve never understood why really.

First thing. The Condor is and have been used by the russian forces aswell as civilian airliners and flown all over the world for almost 20 years now. Have anyone heard of that they (mainly the civilian airliners I mean) have had any difficulties with the plane or a hard time to get support or spareparts?

Second. Were just talking about a handful of planes here, not an entire system of 200 advanced MiG-31´s with all that means in tech. support, training, systemadjustments and all that. Just a handful of planes (offcourse with western avionics and engines) that just needs to fulfill the role as cargofreighters. Nothing fancy…

Third. If **** hits the fan (like the Tsunamidisaster or other warlike conditions) it has showed that renting these monsters is´nt as easy as one might think. There are only so many of them in the civilian market and if everyone wants to charter them at the same time there´s gonna be a problem. Now if 2x**** would hit the fan, then it would be impossible the charter any…

I personally am not happy with this deal, but it does make sence, the RAAF do like this that are “Currently in production”. Sadly it was the only one of the contenders that were, though the An-124 would have won if it was in production, the ADF as a whole has been really impressed with it when they have hired them to move stuff around.

I thought the An-124 was in production? According to http://www.airforce-technology.com : “In September 2004, the governments of Russia and the Ukraine announced that series production of the An-124 would be restarted. Up to 80 An-124-100M upgraded aircraft are to be jointly manufactured by Aviastar and Aviant between 2006 and 2020.”

If it would be possible to get some Condors as fast as the Globemasters you think they would have won? Why is that?

But owned by BAE. That still income for BAE. Like the F136 is built in the USA but make income for RR.

How much income does BAE get from an IFV that is designed and produced in Sweden?

Don´t know if you count Sweden as a “third-world country” but here´s some pictures produced by Sweden and SAAB. Pretty impressive for a country with a population smaller than Londons.

J 6 “Fighting Falcon”

Sk 8 “School Falcon”

Ö 7 “The pirate”

B 17

B 18

J 21

J 22 (not a SAAB-product)

A 21R

SAAB 91 “Sapphire”

SAAB 90 Scandia

SAAB 29 “the barrel”

SAAB 32 “the lance”

SAAB 35 “Dragon”

SAAB 105

SAAB T17 Supporter

SAAB 37 “Thunderbolt”

SAAB 39 “Griffon”

SAAB 340

SAAB 2000

SAAB B3LA

SAAB B3LA or A38/Sk38. A advanced light attack/trainer cancelled in 1979. Intended to replace SAAB 105 and to some extend AJ 37 Viggen. It was to have a very sophisticated avionics system, with a FLIR as main sensor, including automatic target recognition and multiple missile lock-on.

The B3LA was cancelled on cost grounds, instead a simplified trainer/attack version of it was suggested, and this got the designation A 38/Sk 38. It was cancelled as well, but sort of a ‘B3LA’ flies today as the Aeritalia-Aermacchi-Embraer AMX. (Saab cooperated with Aermacchi during the development.)

And how AMX looks

Source:http://www.canit.se/~griffon/aviation/