Armenia MoD confirms that it has signed the contract to buy an unspecified number of Su-30SM jets from Russia (thought to be 12). ????????????????
Su-30SM will be a giant leap in air capabilities for Armenia. Best way to “prepare the population for peace.”
EDIT
Rob Lee @RALee85 15h15 hours ago
Armenia's Ministry of Defense has announced that it has signed a contract for an unknown # of Russian Su-30SM multipurpose fighters as part of the new $100 million loan from Russia (which is insufficient to purchase a squadron of 12 fighters).
The contract is largely symbolic considering the small # of fighters transferred (it will also be interesting to see what munitions are sold), but this is a solid PR coup for PM Nikol Pashinyan. It is also the first arms deal signed with Russia since Pashinyan became PM. 2/
Thread: so the contract is only for 4 Su-30SM, which should be delivered to Armenia in 2020. All 4 fighters were sold at domestic, instead of export, prices (which is supposed to happen for CSTO members but often doesn't occur), and Russia provided a $100 million loan.
JohninMK wrote:Rob Lee @RALee85 34m34 minutes ago
The contract is largely symbolic considering the small # of fighters transferred (it will also be interesting to see what munitions are sold), but this is a solid PR coup for PM Nikol Pashinyan. It is also the first arms deal signed with Russia since Pashinyan became PM. 2/
Thread: so the contract is only for 4 Su-30SM, which should be delivered to Armenia in 2020. All 4 fighters were sold at domestic, instead of export, prices (which is supposed to happen for CSTO members but often doesn't occur), and Russia provided a $100 million loan.
25 million per aircraft is a f**king good deal for Armenia!!
Now Azerbaidjan will buy them some mig-35 to counter that for sure.
On December 19, 2019, spotters at the Tolmachevo Airport (Novosibirsk) during the intermediate landing captured the first two multifunctional Su-30SM fighters (red tail numbers "30" and "31") built for the Armenian armed forces at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant of PJSC Corporation Irkut "and flying from Irkutsk to the place of basing. Airplanes carry identification marks of the Armenian Air Force.
Recall that in January 2019, the Armenian Ministry of Defense signed a contract with the Russian side for the purchase of four Su-30SM multi-functional fighters, which the armed forces of Armenia should receive in 2020. Moreover, the delivery of aircraft is carried out "through the CSTO" at domestic prices.
Presumably, the first two Su-30SM fighters with red tail numbers "30" and "31" now received by Armenia under this contract are aircraft with serial numbers 10MK5 1611 and 10MK5 1612, which were taken up at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant in September 2019.
In accordance with the framework agreement signed by the Armenian Ministry of Defense back in 2012, in total, the Armenian side plans to receive 12 Su-30SM fighters in the future. Until now, the Armenian Air Force did not have fighters, having only Su-25 attack aircraft from combat aircraft.
Armenia became the third customer of Su-30SM fighters among the republics of the former USSR, after Kazakhstan (received 12 aircraft in 2015-2018, 24 aircraft were ordered in total) and Belarus (out of 12 ordered in the first four aircraft in November 2019).
On December 27, 2019, four Su-30SM multi-functional fighters built for the Armenian Air Force at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant of Irkut Corporation Corporation arrived in Armenia at the Shirak airport in Gyumri. The transfer was carried out by Russian crews. These aircraft have red tail numbers "30", “31”, “32” and “33” were manufactured under a contract signed in January 2019 by the Armenian Ministry of Defense with the Russian side for the purchase of four Su-30SM fighters, while the delivery of aircraft is carried out “through the CSTO” at domestic Russian prices.
On the same day, December 27, the multipurpose Su-30SM fighter jets that replenished the armed forces of Armenia were presented to the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, who, together with the Minister of Defense of Armenia David Tonoyan and the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia Artak Davtyan, watched the demonstration flights of the fighters.
“Today is a very important day for us, since our main acquisition of this year was delivered - the ultra-modern multifunctional Su-30SM aircraft, the intention of which we announced last year. That is, the first batch of aircraft was delivered, and this acquisition has a pivotal significance for the security of the Republic of Armenia and our people, ”said Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan.
In accordance with the framework agreement signed by the Armenian Ministry of Defense back in 2012, in total, the Armenian side plans to receive 12 Su-30SM fighters in the future. Until now, the Armenian Air Force did not have fighters, having only Su-25 attack aircraft from combat aircraft.
Presumably, the first four Su-30SM fighter aircraft received by Armenia with red tail numbers "30", "31", "32" and "33" are aircraft with serial numbers 10MK5 1611 to 10MK5 1614, taken up at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant in September October 2019. The first two of them started moving from Irkutsk to Armenia on December 19, 2019, and the other two on December 24.
Armenia became the third customer of Su-30SM fighters among the republics of the former USSR, after Kazakhstan (received 12 aircraft in 2015-2018, 24 aircraft were ordered in total) and Belarus (out of 12 ordered in the first four aircraft in November 2019)....