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During the Cold War, the Soviet Union was a significant producer of military transport aircraft, with Antonov and Ilyushin leading in this field. However, today, these manufacturers have largely disappeared from the export market. The inventories of many Soviet-aligned air forces still include Soviet-produced transports, but most were built before or shortly after the USSR's collapse. Despite this, Russia remains the second-largest operator of military transports globally.
Currently, countries purchasing new military transport aircraft are opting for models from Europe, the United States, Brazil, and China. Ukraine's Antonov and Russia's Ilyushin are notably absent from recent order books. A range of military transport aircraft is in production worldwide, including the Ilyushin Il-76 from Russia and various models from China based on Soviet designs.
Kazakhstan recently acquired its first Airbus A400M airlifter while also ordering Chinese Shaanxi Y-8 transports. India is replacing its old Soviet transports with EADS CASA C-295s and plans to produce C130J Super Hercules under license.
