EU considers upgrading An-124 or replacing C-17 — AeroTime
In Brussels, European Union countries will consider two options for preserving capabilities to transport outsized cargo: a deep modernization of the An-124-100 fleet or the development of a new European aircraft to replace the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III. These conclusions are contained in the European System for Outsized Cargo Airlift study, AeroTime reports.
An industrial consortium presented the study’s results to the European Defence Agency on September 8, 2026. EU member states are to discuss these conclusions, as well as outstanding questions concerning operational requirements, during the Strategic Transport Days in Brussels on October 21–22, 2026.
Study involving Airbus
The ESOCA project was selected under the 2023 European Defence Fund call as an 18-month study with a maximum EU contribution of nearly €20 million. The consortium of 14 organizations from eight countries is coordinated by Airbus Defence and Space GmbH. It includes representatives of Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain, including Leonardo, Safran Aircraft Engines and ITP Aero.
The study is linked to the Strategic Air Transport for Outsized Cargo initiative, established in November 2021 and coordinated by Germany. Project materials state that Europe may face a shortage of strategic transport in the 100-tonne class in the 2030s due to the aging of leased An-124 aircraft and the inability to purchase aircraft in this class. According to the project’s assessment, the C-17s operated by EU countries will reach the end of their service life in the 2040s. Boeing ceased C-17 production in 2015.
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Dependence on the An-124
As of September 2026, Europe’s access to An-124 aircraft is provided by NATO’s Strategic Airlift International Solution program. Participants in the partnership from nine countries can lease up to five An-124-100 aircraft from Antonov Logistics SALIS, each with a payload capacity of up to 120 tonnes. The NATO Support and Procurement Agency signed a five-year contract with the company in October 2021, and the current SALIS agreement is expected by the project to end in the early 2030s.
In February 2022, during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the aggressor state, the only completed An-225 Mriya was destroyed at Hostomel airfield near Kyiv. Its maximum payload capacity was 250 tonnes. On August 4, 2026, an explosive drone struck a parked Antonov Airlines An-124 at Leipzig/Halle Airport, which is the operational base of SALIS, but the detonator did not activate. Germany linked the attack to Russia.
Available alternatives have limitations
Twelve NATO allies operate three C-17s at Pápa Air Base in Hungary through the Strategic Airlift Capability program. Another seven allies launched an initiative to create a joint Airbus A400M fleet on July 7, 2026. At the same time, the A400M cannot fully replace the An-124 in the heaviest cargo category because of size and payload limitations.
