TASS – Russia's Defense Technologies Newswire
December 4, 2018 Tuesday 1:56 PM GMT
Russia to supply Su-30SM fighter jets to Armenia
YEREVAN December 4
HIGHLIGHT: Armenia and Russia have almost completed to finalize a contract for delivering Su-30SM fighter jets to Yerevan, Armenia's Acting Defense Minister David Tonoyan said.
YEREVAN, December 4. /TASS-DEFENSE/. Armenia and Russia have almost completed to finalize a contract for delivering Su-30SM fighter jets to Yerevan, Armenia's Acting Defense Minister David Tonoyan said.
"We are trying to make it quick. We are entering the final stage of signing the contract," he said.
According to Tonoyan, the two countries are finishing to implement at an inter-state level an agreement for granting a 100 million-dollar Russian credit to Armenia for purchasing arms, including concrete types of military hardware.
"At present the negotiations are nearing completion. Inter-state procedures are underway in Russia and Armenia. We have nearly finished," Tonoyan said.
Armenia's acting defense minister noted close military cooperation with Russian colleagues. "We are getting ready for a joint event. We are going to announce the dates as soon as we resolve some issues," Tonoyan said without specifying what event he meant.
An agreement for granting a new export credit to Armenia was signed on October 24, 2017. Armenia will use the credit to import Russian-made defense products. Armenia is getting the credit at a 3% annual interest rate with a maturity period of 15 years. Under the contract, Armenia is to use the credit in 2018-2022.
The multirole Su-30SM (serial, modernized) (Flanker-H by NATO classification) is designed to win supremacy in the air and for strikes at ground and surface targets. The aircraft has front horizontal fin and steerable thrusters. They make the aircraft super maneuverable. Su-30SM carries multifunctional Bars radar. It has a broad range of weapons, including air-to-air missiles and high-precision air-to-surface armaments. Su-30SM can be used to train pilots for perspective one-seater fighters. The aircraft has been built since 2012. Fighter jets of this class afre taking part in the operation in Syria. Su-30SM was adopted for service in 2018.