2 x F/A-18 Aircraft For Delivery By Antonov An-124

2 x F/A-18 Mirabel to Australia

There was a time, not all that long ago, when moving fighter airplanes like the F/A-18 from one theatre to another or from manufacturer to customer was a major undertaking, especially when long overwater legs were concerned.

Those nations with transport aircraft large enough to accommodate them, (which reduced the list to the USA), were usually pretty hard pressed to make the capacity available especially when considering that the cargo itself had wings.

So the fighter boss had to content himself with either a long, slow trip by boat or the risk and substantial expense of long ferry sectors by his tempremental and very expensive asset.

The arrival of the An-124 in commercial guise after the break-up of the Soviet Union has been a godsend for military logisticians everywhere. The very possibility of western military interventions around the globe over the last 15 years being highly questionable without the availability of these aircraft for charter.

The latest example is the photo story carried on FlightGlobal's Image of the Day of 2 x F/A-18 aircraft being loaded at the L3 MAS facility at Mirabel for delivery to the Royal Australian Air Force by an An-124 of Antonov Airlines.