Indian Government News, The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) will on Thursday take delivery of two Sukhoi Su-30MKM multi-role fighter aircraft after a four-year wait.
Chief of Air Force Jen Azizan Ariffin and Defence Ministry Secretary-General Ahmad Latffi Hashim will receive the aircraft on behalf of the Malaysian government at the Irkut Aircraft Corporation manufacturing plant.
Malaysia and the Russian government agency, Rosoboronexport, signed a USD 900 million contract for 18 Sukhoi Su-30MKM (Modernizirovannyi Kommercheskiy Malaysia or Modernised Commercial Malaysia) aircraft.
In return for the purchase, Russia agreed to train and send a Malaysian astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS).
The 16 other Su-30MKM aircraft will be delivered to Malaysia in stages up to the middle of 2008.
Other than Malaysia, the Indonesian Air Force has two Su-27 and eight Su-30MK2 aircraft while Vietnam has four Su-30 and 12 Su-27 aircraft.
Defence analysts believe that the Su-30MKM and a similar version, the Su-30 MKI, used by the Indian Air Force are the most modern Su-30 aircraft in the market.
Although the Su-30 aircraft of the RMAF and the Indian Air Force are the same, the electronic equipment and avionics used by the aircraft are different, for political reasons.
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