Kazakhstan’s Air Defense Forces will receive 6 new Su-30SM multi-role fighter jets at the beginning of the next year, said Colonel Yerzhan Nildibaev, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Air Defense Forces for armaments – Head of the Main Armaments Directorate.
He called the Su-30SM the “best multi-role combat aircraft in the world”, commenting on the report by La Tribune newspaper on the plans to sell Rafale fighter jets to Kazakhstan.
“I’ll tell you straight away, I want to disappoint you, no negotiations were held on this issue (Rafale). There were no such plans. Nice plane, good machine, but very expensive. Therefore, we believe that when choosing in terms of “price – quality,” we have so far settled on the Su-30 SM aircraft,” Nildibaev said at a briefing.
He gave details on the implementation of the rearmament program approved by the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
«New transport and combat helicopters Mi-35 and Mi-171Sh were received. By the end of this year, another TOR-2M battery is planned to arrive. At the beginning of next year, we will be equipped with six Su-30SM aircraft, which is the best multi-role combat aircraft in the world, a Tor-M2K air defense system battery and an A-400M military transport aircraft,” said Colonel Nildibaev.
The Su-30SME multirole fighter is the latest modification in the Su-30 family, designed for air interception, ground and surface target attacks, aerial reconnaissance and training of pilots. The supermaneuvrability and significant combat payload are often named as its major advantages.
