Antonov An-32 Cline

Summary

Category	Transport aircraft
Origin country	🇺🇦 Ukraine
First flight	9 July 1976
Year of introduction	1982
Number produced	373 units
Average unit price	$15 million

Description

The Antonov An-32 is a re-engined An-26, designed to withstand adverse weather conditions. Officially announced at the May 1977 Paris Air Show, it is distinguished by engines raised 1.5 m above the wing to avoid foreign object damage on rough airstrips. Its design features high-lift wings with automatic leading-edge slats, large triple-slotted trailing edge flaps, and an enlarged tailplane. The design incorporates a significant power increase for improved take-off performance and service ceiling.

Power is provided by 5,100 hp rated Ivchenko AI-20 turboprop engines, nearly doubling the power of the An-26's AI-24 powerplants. The high placement of the engine nacelles allowed for larger diameter propellers.

Production took place at the Government Aircraft Factory in Kyiv. Production included 123 aircraft for the Indian Air Force. The majority of production was allocated to the Russian and Ukrainian Air Forces, with approximately 40 aircraft built per year during the late 1980s to early 1990s. The last An-32 was produced in 2012.

The An-32 entered service in the 1980s. Its takeoff characteristics in hot and high conditions, up to 55 °C and 4,500 m elevation, make it suitable for medium tactical military transport roles, as well as commercial roles. As a cargo transport over short and medium-range routes, the An-32 is used for air-dropping cargo, passenger transport, medevac, firefighting, skydiving and paratrooping roles. The aircraft has a maximum payload of 6,700 kg (14,771 lb). While specific details on armament are not provided, the aircraft is suitable for military transport roles, including air-dropping cargo and paratrooping, and primarily functions as a transport aircraft rather than a combat aircraft with dedicated offensive or defensive weapon systems. More than 240 An-32 aircraft are operated in various countries, including Ukraine, Russia, Bangladesh, India, Iraq, Mexico and Sudan. The Indian Air Force initially bought 125 aircraft, with approximately 105 still in service as of 2024, after some modernization and upgrades, with plans to upgrade another 60. The Iraqi Air Force operated six An-32B aircraft, delivered from Ukraine between 2011 and 2012.

Main Variants:

An-32: The baseline, twin-engined transport aircraft that served as the foundation for subsequent developments.
An-32A: This was the initial civil variant, primarily used by government factories to transport assemblies between different production plants.
An-32B: An improved version of the original An-32, incorporating enhancements to its design and capabilities.
An-32B-100: A modernised variant of the An-32B, featuring an increased maximum takeoff weight of 28.5 tons and a payload capacity of 7.5 tons.
An-32P Firekiller: This specialized aerial firefighting version is equipped with external tanks capable of discharging eight tons of liquid, either simultaneously or sequentially.

Technical specifications

Version: An-132
Operational range	1400 km (870 mi)
Wingspan	29.2 m (95.8 ft)
Height	8.8 m (28.9 ft)
Length	24.5 m (80.5 ft)
Service ceiling	9000 m (29528 ft)
Max. takeoff weight	28500 kg (62832 lbs)
Powerplant	2 × turboprops Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A delivering 3728 kW