preparation for war? multiple Antonov 124 landing in cairns Australia

This seems odd, over the last few weeks there has been multiple transports originating in south east Asia landing in cairns Australia.

Two an124’s landed today, I can’t find a reference other than Flightradar24.

There is a report from two weeks ago: www.cairnspost.com.au...

Thought to have 3 flight if a major heavy lift transport to cairns seems odd.

Granted it could be mining equipment, though i am sure info should be easier to locate.

Though the above news story states:

An expected departure time of 6.30am on Monday has meant the stopover has literally been a flying visit but the reason for the big bird’s stay has not been revealed.

Which really begs the question. Why are they coming to cairns if all places.

a reply to: Cavemannick
That was an interesting read thanks.
I can't add anything useful, but my first thoughts are that a plane so big would ONLY be used when it is absolutely required for whatever it's carrying...I'm thinking fuel costs, airport length etc.

Soooo, if it's shifting something non military related then the news story would surely report it...I'm assuming something big and secret military related now of course, but no idea what it would be to need a special flight in that big expensive bird!


*Edit
I wondered the same about Cairns, Google tells me lots of aviation industry there but the key employment is health and social care sector lol

a reply to: Cavemannick


What part of SE Asia are the flights originating from?

This might lend a clue as to what the cargo is. I worked in SE Asia for several years, so I'm pretty familiar with the industries there. There's not really any heavy MIC manufacturing done in SE Asia. Further north in South Korea there is though.

Dunno what's on the plane, but whomever took this picture definitely should get a cookie or something!



It's too bad they didn't have a little better lens, because if they had, this photo could be an award winner (after a little cropping). In any case, I'm sure the guys at Antonov would be willing to pay for it as a wall hanger.

The chances of capturing a double rainbow around a such rare arrival like that in Cairns is probably near zero.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

It originated in Leipzig May 31. It went to the Thizay region of France for a quick stop, then continued on to Dubai where it overnighted, going into Singapore on June 1.

a reply to: Cavemannick

The aircraft in the article you linked originated in Leipzig. There's a lot of manufacturing in Leipzig, including heavy equipment and transportation.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Makes more sense. Probably stopped in Singapore for fuel. Each of the (3) long legs are approx. 3,500 miles each. AN-124 range with 180,000 lbs of cargo is 5,200 miles, but this drops down to 2,300 miles with a max load of around 300,000 lbs (including fuel). So, fuel stops in in Dubai and Singapore.

Probably a military cargo of some kind, possibly aviation, given the Germany and France stops.

edit - Could have been something for the Arnhem space complex. Cairns is about the closest city with a runway long enough to handle the AN-124.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Leipzig has tons of heavy industry, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was some kind of equipment for a space complex. South Korea is supposed to be launching the Innospace rocket next year from there, which uses a hybrid solid fuel, liquid oxidizer engine. The first launch was a sub orbital rocket that launched a 20kg GPS satellite for Brazil, with a launch planned for the Hanbit-Nano with a 50kg payload next year from Arnhem. Innospace signed an agreement for multiple launches through 2028 from Arnhem, with payloads ranging from 50kg to 500kg. The timing is right for them to be moving stuff down there to build up the facility for a first launch next year.

There is war brewing in New Caledonia.

Between natives and colonialists.

Also China wants its stake.



Beware...

*shrugs* when I was at rimpac for a month I saw those coming in and out a couple of times and I didnt work every night.

This in and of itself is no cause for alarm.

a reply to: BrotherKinsMan

I would doubt it. Anything for a conflict in that area would arrive by ship. Ships can move way more tonnage than the AN-124 can.

The Antonov is best utilized for very large cargo which is also very specialized / important / expensive, not something which can be allowed to shift around aboard a rolling ship for a couple weeks. Generally, the AN-124 cargo loads aren't particularly heavy for their size either, just very bulky. I see them here about once a month, and they're generally loading/offloading rocket, missile and satellite components, sometimes aviation stuff too, but that's less common. There's a special RON pad built for them at the airport because they're so big. Plus, just the loading and unloading operations take up huge amounts of apron real estate, often 2x (or more) the length of the aircraft itself, what with mobile cranes and the specialized loading dollies. It's a big operation to load one of these aircraft. By the time they get done fully loading one they've got stuff scattered out for a thousand feet in every direction on the apron between all the trucks, trailers, specialized loaders, cranes, racking, support vehicles and staging gear, etc.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

They have a pretty regular run to Paine Field carrying things like engine cowling, and parts that the Dreamlifter either isn't available to haul, or can't haul for whatever reason. Like you said, lots of big bulky stuff.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Hybrid solid/liquid rocket engine.


Way cool!


The "hobby rocket" team I was with experimented with those back in the late 90's - 00's. Valving was the big hurdle back then. That, and maintaining proper pressure in the oxidizer tank.


I don't think I need to go into the difficulties of mixing "home-brewed" solid fuel post 9/11.

a reply to: Mantiss2021

Speaking of rocket engines, SRBs in particular; while working for a company who was a supplier to Morton Thiokol in the 80's, I had the opportunity to go witness one of the NASA Space Shuttle SRB test firings outside of Brigham City, UT. Absolutely incredible, 'earth shattering' (literally and metaphorically), ear splitting, event...even from inside a reinforced concrete bunker over a half a mile away.

When they lit that thing off it sounded, looked and felt like the Apocalypse was taking place right before my eyes and ears! I can't even begin to describe what it was like to witness something like that. The audible countdown stopped at 4 seconds, and you watched the final 3 seconds tick off on the digital clock. Then you saw the booster ignite, and my first reaction was..."Gee, it's not all that bad"...(but that was actually only the per-ignition sequence, delayed due to the distance). Then the full fury of the actual booster ignition hit you, and this was before throttle-up, so only about 40%. Then they throttled that bad-boy up and...LOOKOUT! WOW! It was like the entire World was going to end!!!

I had seen some crazy-loud and powerful stuff in my life, but never anything like that! It was easily 100x more powerful than anything I'd ever witnessed in my life up to that point (and ever since, frankly). We were inside this reinforced bunker built into a hillside, wearing triple hearing protection, and it didn't even matter. The shockwave alone hit you so hard it felt like it would stop your heart, and the sound went right through your whole body