MOSCOW. Feb 29 (Interfax) - The Russian Defense Ministry and the MiG aircraft building corporation have signed a contract on the purchase of 24 MiG-29K/KUB planes.
"Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and MiG aircraft building corporation General Director Sergei Korotkov have signed a contract on the delivery of a shipment of MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB carrier-based fighters. Under the contract, the MiG corporation will deliver 20 MiG-29K and four MiG-29KUB planes to the Russian Navy from 2012 to 2015," the MiG corporation said in a statement on Wednesday.
The planes will be adapted to the Defense Ministry requirements.
"The signing of the contract on the delivery of these fighters is a real contribution to a long-term program of the Russian armed forces' rearmament. Following the Air Force, the Navy's aviation will receive modern warplanes that match the best foreign analogues," the corporation quoted Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov as saying.
MiG General Director Korotkov called the contract a crucial result of years of work on building new fighters and launching their serial production.
"The MiG-29K and planes based on it will ensure stable engagement of the corporation's production facilities in the midterm," Korotkov said.
The single-seat MiG-29K and the double-seat MiG-29KUB are generation 4++ all-weather multirole superiority fighters designed to be used by naval units. They can attack surface and ground targets with precision-guided weapons round the clock.