Various press reports over the last days suggest that Armenia is taking measures to boost its air force.
The Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that Armenia will receive four new SU-30s fighter jets in 2020. Russia will supply the aircraft with credit, and at Russian domestic prices, the newspaper said. The newspaper fiurther said that an agreement between Russia and Armenia for the supply of the aircraft had already been signed, and that it was part of the arrangements within the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) of which both countries are members. As part of the agreement, Armenian pilots will be trained at Russian air bases.
The Sukhoi Su-30 is a twin-engine, two-seat supermaneuverable fighter aircraft developed by Russia's Sukhoi Aviation Corporation. It is a multirole fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep interdiction missions. Apart from the Russian airforce, the SU-30 is also in the military inventory of Vietnam, Algeria and Venezuela.
Earlier, the spokesperson for Armenian Defence Ministry, Artsrun Hovhannisyan, confirmed that discussions for the purchase of the aircraft were ongoing but refused to give further details.
source: commonspace.eu with agencies
photo: The SU-30 in flight (archive picture)
