Editing Antonov An-22 (section)

== Operational history ==

The An-22 was originally built for the [[Soviet Air Force]] and [[Aeroflot]] (the state airline). Conversion from [[An-12]] in the Air Force began in July 1974. Several [[Military Transport Aviation]] units were equipped. The 12th Mginsk Red Banner Military Transport Aviation Division (based at [[Migalovo]]) was one of the units which had its three regiments entirely equipped with the An-22s. Another unit that operated it was the 566th [[Solnechnogorsk]] Military Transport Aviation Regiment, which used the An-22 from 1970 to 1987.

An early use of the An-22 was to deliver Soviet [[humanitarian aid]] to [[Peru]] in July 1970 following the [[1970 Ancash earthquake|Ancash earthquake]]. One An-22 disappeared on 18 July during these relief flights. An-22s were also used to deliver Soviet military aid to [[Egypt]] and [[Syria]] during the [[Yom Kippur War]] in 1973, to [[Angola]] in 1975, and to [[Ethiopia]] in 1977.<ref name="AI p36-7">Gordon, Komissarov and Komissarov ''Air International'' January 2006, pp. 36–37.</ref>

The An-22s from Migalovo were used for the initial deployment of the [[Soviet Airborne Troops]] (VDV) during the 1979 [[Soviet–Afghan War|Soviet invasion of Afghanistan]]. One An-22 was shot down at takeoff (probably by an [[9K32 Strela-2|SA-7]] missile) near [[Kabul]] on 28 October 1984 with about 250 casualties as the aircraft was used as troop carrier.<ref name="AI p37">Gordon, Komissarov and Komissarov ''Air International'' January 2006, p. 37.</ref> In 1980, one An-22 crashed at [[Vnukovo International Airport|Vnukovo Airport]] while two crashed at Migalovo (in 1992 and 1994).

In 1984, military An-22s were used to deliver [[Mil Mi-8|Mi-8]] helicopters to [[Ethiopia]] during [[drought]] relief operations.

In 1986 the aircraft of the 8th Military Air Transport Aviation Regiment from Migalovo were used to deliver materials for the [[Chernobyl disaster]] relief operation.

During 1987 the An-22s were used to deliver military equipment to [[Angola]]. A year later the military An-22s were used to deliver 15,000 tons and 1,000 personnel for the [[1988 Armenian earthquake]] relief operation.

[[File:Russian Air Force Antonov An-22 Petrov.jpg|thumb|right|View of an An-22 from behind.]]
The An-22 aircraft were often seen at the [[Paris Air Show|Le Bourget Air Show]], and in 1988 delivered an engine from the [[An-124]] to the [[Farnborough Airshow]].

In late 1980s, the An-22s were used to deliver [[Internal Troops]] to many regional conflicts during and after the [[breakup of the Soviet Union]]. In 1995 they deployed the Russian peacekeeping force from the [[98th Guards Airborne Division]] during the [[Bosnian War]].

Approximately 45 An-22s remained in service by the mid-1990s, mostly with the [[Russian Air Force]], but these are slowly being replaced by the bigger turbofan-powered [[Antonov An-124]]. The remaining An-22s appear to be operated by an independent military transport aviation squadron at Migalovo base in [[Tver]].

As of December 2018, six An-22s were in service with the 76th Military Transport Air Squadron at Tver, with only three aircraft airworthy. They are planned to remain in service until 2033.<ref name="ai119p20-1">{{cite magazine|last=Taghvaee|first=Babak|title=An-22 in the war on terror|magazine=[[Air International]]|date=January 2019|volume=96|issue=1|pages=20–21|issn=0306-5634}}</ref>

A single An-22 (registration number UR-09307) is in service with Antonov Airlines as of September 26, 2020 but was potentially damaged in 2022 during Russia's military action in Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuQGvi_R8zg|title = АЭРОПОРТ ГОСТОМЕЛЬ. Здесь был "русский мир"|website = [[YouTube]]| date=2 April 2022 }}</ref>