of designation) Battlefield communications relay aircraft, fitted with powerful Inzheer (Fig) radio relay system, for connecting forward units to headquarters units. 42 built. An-26RTR Alternative unit designation of the An-26RT ELINT aircraft. An-26S (Salon – [VIP] Lounge) : A new VIP Lounge aircraft for the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense delivered about 1997. An-26Sh (Shturmanskiy – Navigator) : Navigator trainer for the VVS, 36 built at Kyiv. Non-USSR /-Ukrainian versions An-26SM One aircraft modified as an ELINT aircraft for the East German Air Force. An-26M One aircraft modified for NAVAID calibration and flight monitoring for the East German Air Force and transferred to the post-unification German Air Force. An-26ST East German designation for An-26s used as staff transports. An-26T Unofficial East German designation for An-26s operated by Transportfliegerstaffel 24 (transport squadron 24). An-26Z-1 Czechoslovakian ELINT conversion of one aircraft for ELINT duties. Xian Y-7H Military transport version. Chinese production version. Xian Y-14 Initial designation of the An-26 copy, later changed to 'Y-7H' (Hao – cargo). Operators Military operators National Air Force of Angola – 22 An-26s bought between 1976 and 1987. One aircraft still operational as of December 2021. Belarusian Air Force – three operated December 2016. Cape Verde Army – 3 Chad Air Force – three in service December 2016. 23 Xian Y-7; 4 Xian Y-7-100; includes all types of Y-7 aircraft People's Liberation Army Air Force People's Liberation Army Navy Cuban Air Force – operated 17, two in service December 2016. Democratic Republic of the Congo Air Force – three in service as of 2021. Ethiopian Air Force – one Ivory Coast Air Force – two in service as of 2021. Kazakh Air Force – five An-24 or An-26 in service December 2015.; Received one refurbished An-26 from Ukraine on 3 November 2017. Kyrgyz Air Force – two donated from Russia in August 2017. Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force – one in service December 2016. Libyan Air Force – two An-24/An-26 as of December 2016. Malagasy Air Force – one Moldovan Air Force – one as of December 2016. Mozambique Air Force – one as of December 2016. Namibian Air Force – one as of December 2016. Nicaraguan Air Force – four as of February 2018. Puntland Maritime Police Force – one Romanian Air Force – Two as 2021 will be withdrawn after 2023 of Alenia C-27J Spartan Russian Air Force – 104 as of December 2016. Russian