Malaysia Su-30MKM buy initialed

Russia to Delivery Malaysia Su-30 for 900 Million Dollars

During the visit to Kuala Lumpur of a Russian military delegation headed by Minister of Defense Sergey Ivanov, a contract was initialed for the delivery to Malaysia of Su-30MKM airplanes, the Russian and Malaysian defense ministers reported to journalists on Monday after completion of their discussions.

“It is a question of the forthcoming delivery of the modern Su-30MKM multirole airplane,” Sergey Ivanov reported. “The contract total corresponds approximately to an equivalent of 900 million dollars.” At the same time Ivanov emphasized that “it’s not just the total, but the fact that Russia and Malaysia are lining up close military and technical cooperation for the distant future.” According to the Russian minister, “further servicing of the airplane and the possibility of its upgrade in the future already are laid” in this deal’s conditions.

In Ivanov’s opinion, “it is very important that Russia has consolidated its grip on a long-term basis in such a prospective market.” “This country is playing an important role is ASEAN,” the minister emphasized. After initialing the contract, as Sergey Ivan reported, “some legal formalities remain,” and therefore, “it will enter into force formally somewhat later, although the basic positions already have been agreed.”

As Malaysian Minister of Defense Najib Tun Razak ((phonetic)) noted, “the final execution of the agreement for the Sukhoys will occur as early as the coming months.” He reported to journalists that purchase of the Su-30MKM is being realized within the framework of the Malaysian air force’s upgrade program. Razak reminded us that in 1996, Malaysia already had purchased MiG-29 airplanes in Russia. In the future, according to the Malaysian minister, “there is the likelihood of their upgrade, but for the time being there have been no decisions taken on this account.” At the present moment, Razak considers the Russian Su-30MKM as “optimally corresponding” to the criteria of the Malaysian military leadership that have been presented for combat airplanes.” “It is no accident,” he emphasized, “the airplane is called the Su-30MKM, where the last letter ‘M’ designates ‘Malaysian modification’.”

Sergey Ivanov reported that after the end of his visit to Malaysia, the deputy minister of defense and representative of the Committee for Military and Technical Cooperation with Foreign Countries (KVTS), Mikhail Dmitriev, will remain here. According to the Minister, Dmitriev will hold a bilateral meeting of the Russo-Malaysian VTS commission, at which “different prospective projects for the future besides Sukhoy will be examined.”

Source: 19.05.03, RIA Novosti