Xinhua News Agency,
MOSCOW: Russia delivered two Sukhoi Su-30MKA fighter jets to Algeria on Tuesday, kicking off the implementation of an arms contract inked by the two governments.
An An-124 cargo plane carried parts of the first two multifunctional fighters to Algeria, where they will be assembled by Russian engineers, the Itar-Tass news agency reported, citing a spokesman of the Irkutsk aircraft plant.
“Plant specialists who arrived a few days ago are already waiting for the fighters at the airbase of the Algerian Air Force,” the spokesman said.
Two Russian pilots will test fly the assembled aircraft after the New Year holidays before being officially transferred to the air force.
The contract for the delivery of the Su-30MKA fighters will be fully fulfilled in 2008, Itar-Tass said.
In 2006 Algeria and Russia reached an agreement on the sale of arms worth approximately 8 billion U.S. dollars that includes 28 Su-30 and 34 Mig-29 fighter jets.
India, Algeria and Malaysia are the main purchasers of the Sukhoi fighter.
