The world's largest aircraft, the Antonov AN-225 Mriya, arrived in India early morning on Friday, landing at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad.
According to reports, this cargo aircraft is the longest and heaviest plane ever built, with a maximum takeoff weight of 640 tonnes.
The cargo aircraft that has six turbofan engines is specially built to undertake transcontinental route airlifting loads between 180-230 tonnes. It also has the largest wingspan of any aircraft in operational service.
Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence signed a strategic pact with Ukraine's ANtonic Company last month for the assembly, manufacture, and maintenance and repair of its platforms in India, both for the commercial and the military market.
India reportedly requires over 200 medium lift turbofan aircrafts valued at ₹35,000 crore, as these are the backbone of all tactical transport support of the air force, army and paramilitary forces.
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