Russian military to buy over 35 Su-30SM fighters for 70 bln rubles - newspaper
MOSCOW. Aug 17 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Defense Ministry might buy at least 36 Sukhoi Su-30SM multirole fighter jets for the Aerospace Forces and marine aviation in the end of 2018 as part of a three-year contract, the newspaper Vedomosti said with reference to its sources.
"The approximate value of the contract is 70 billion rubles," Vedomosti said.
Since 2012, the Defense Ministry has signed contracts for 116 Su-30SM fighters, which are derivatives of the Su-30MKI aircraft designed for India, the newspaper said.
"Eighty-eight aircraft were ordered for the Aerospace Forces, and 28 for marine aviation; the contract deadlines expire in 2018. Similar aircraft have been supplied not only to India but also to Malaysia, Algeria, and Kazakhstan, and may be delivered to Myanmar and Belarus in the future," Vedomosti said.
United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) President Yury Slyusar told Vedomosti earlier this week about plans to enter into a new Su-30SM contract with the Russian Defense Ministry this year.
"We are set to sign a new contract this year; it will keep the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant busy for the next few years with the yearly production of 12 to 14 vehicles," Slyusar said.
The Su-30SM two-seat fighter jet was developed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau and produced by the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant, an affiliate of the Irkut Corporation. The super-maneuverable aircraft features a phased radar antenna array, a thrust-vectoring module, and a forward horizontal canard.
The fighter can carry advanced and prospective precision-guided air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons.