Thailand buy 12 Su-30MKM for USD500m

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2005/12/19/043.html

Monday, December 19, 2005. Issue 3319. Page 7.

Thailand Inks Deal for 12 Fighters

By Lyuba Pronina
Staff Writer

Irkut

Bangkok is wrapping up its first-ever arms deal with Russia, which includes a dozen Sukhoi-30 fighter jets.

Russia has signed a preliminary agreement to sell $500 million worth of military aircraft to Thailand in what would be the first such deal with the traditional U.S. arms client.

“We signed a memorandum for 12 Sukhoi-30MKMs during President Vladimir Putin’s visit [last week] to Malaysia,” a senior official at Irkut, the privately controlled maker of the Sukhoi fighter, said Friday. Putin was in Malaysia for a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Thailand originally agreed to buy the jets last year but put off the deal after a tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands of people hit the region last December.

The Irkut executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of negotiations, said the memorandum of understanding also included delivery of helicopters to Thailand.

“We have gone half the distance and expect to sign the contract in the first half of next year,” said Alexei Fyodorov, Irkut board chairman.

“This is good news for Russia, we haven’t sold a single cartridge to Thailand,” said Konstantin Makiyenko, deputy head of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies. “It also means that Russia has taken over the region — we have fighter jets in China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and now Thailand.”

Makiyenko estimated that the deal would bring Russia at least $500 million. Rosoboronexport, the state arms sales agency, was not available for comment Friday.

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Although the version might not be correct since MKM is for Malaysia with specific Malaysian requirement.