Military Transport Aviation

one of the forms of military aviation included in the armed forces of a government. Its purpose is to transport airborne forces, support aerial troop maneuvers, and transport weaponry, ammunition, fuel, provisions, and other materials. In the USSR, military transport aviation was organized as a separate means of aviation in 1955 and became a part of the air force. Present Soviet military transport aviation is equipped with An-12 and An-22 airplanes. Military transport aviation of the USA is armed with C-130, C-141, C-133, C-124, and C-7A planes. Military transport airplanes are capable of transporting troops and heavy combat equipment, including rockets, tanks, and self-propelled guns over long distances. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45, in order to help the partisan movement, Soviet transport aviation regiments and squadrons made about 110,000 flights, of which more than 13,000 resulted in landings in partisan areas. In modern times the role of military transport aviation is steadily increasing in the armed forces.