Antonov AN-30

The Antonov An-30 is a specialized aerial survey and photographic reconnaissance aircraft developed in the Soviet Union during the 1960s. It is a derivative of the Antonov An-24 regional turboprop, extensively modified with a redesigned nose section featuring a glazed navigator's station, an elevated flight deck, and multiple camera hatches in the fuselage floor to accommodate survey equipment. The aircraft was designed primarily for aerial cartography, geological survey, environmental monitoring, and atmospheric research. It entered service with Soviet and Warsaw Pact air forces and civil aviation organizations, and was also exported to several allied nations. The An-30 remains in limited service with a small number of operators, notably for Open Skies Treaty observation flights, which allow participating nations to conduct unarmed aerial surveillance missions over each other's territories.