Breaking news
Vietnam took delivery of its two final Su-30MK2 multirole fighter jets.
| a | |||
|
|
|||
|
World Defense & Security News - Vietnam
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
Vietnam took delivery of its two final Su-30MK2 multirole fighter jets
|
|||
|
The Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi has handed over the two final Su-30MK2 multirole fighter jets to the Vietnam, bringing the total number of combat aircraft of this type in operation in the Vietnam People's Air Force to 36. The Russian news agency Interfax-AVN, citing sources in the Russian aviation industry, said recently that two new Su-30MK2 fighters, with the serial number 88 520 and 88 521, has been loaded to a super-heavy transport aircraft An-124-100 and shipped to Vietnam in early February.
|
|||
|
|
|||
 A Vietnam People's Air Force Su-30MK2 fighter jet |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Vietnam started purchasing Russian-produced aircraft in mid-1990s after a long downturn in the military-technical cooperation between the countries. In 1995 Vietnam purchased the first six Su-27 fighters (5 Su-27SK and 1 Su-27UBK) worth $150 million. In early 1997 Hanoi purchased the second batch of six Su-27 fighters (5 Su-27SK and 1 Su-27UBK).
In December 2003 Rosoboronexport signed a contract for delivery of four Su-30MK aircraft to Vietnam. The basic version of Su-30MK was upgraded in accordance with the requirements of Vietnamese air forces. The jets were delivered to the customer in 2004. Taking into account the cost of the basic version of Su-30MK, weapons, spare parts and required modifications of its design the total value of this contract reached $120 million. In early 2009 Vietnam signed another contract worth $400 million for delivery of 8 Su-30MK2 fighters without weapons. In February 2010 a second contract for delivery of 12 Su-30MK2 jets with weapons was signed. The value of this contract was around $1 billion. The agreement included deliveries of aircraft weapons and spare parts for the first batch of fighters purchased in 2009. Another contract for delivery of 12 Su-30MK2 jets worth about $600 million was signed in August 2013. The first four vehicles were delivered to the air forces of Vietnam in October and May 2014. Two more aircraft of the type were handed over to Vietnam on August 7th 2015. The rest six jets should be delivered to the customer this year; after that the fleet of Vietnamese air forces will comprise 36 Su-30MK2 fighters. |
|||