Antonov Company has extended its contract with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) for strategic airlift services. Through its agent Antonov Logistics Salis, Antonov has secured a five-year extension with NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) for the Strategic Airlift International Solution (SALIS) program.

Ukraine and NATO have been cooperating under the SALIS program since January 2006. During this period, Antonov Company has placed two AN-124-100s at NATO’s and EU’s disposal with additional airplanes provided by request. The AN-22 Antei and AN-225 Mriya are used to perform some missions by the program as well.

Following several two and three-year extensions of the initial contract, this is the first time Antonov has secured a five-year extension with NSPA. Before the agreement signing the conference on the SALIS program execution was held on September 29-30, 2021 in Prague, Czech Republic, summarising the acting three-year deal.

Antonov Company’s general director, Sergiy Bychkov, noted that the current fleet are capable of performing the missions within the SALIS program over the next five-year period. He added that the company will be able to extend the service life of these aircraft for more than 15 years.