MOSCOW. March 17 (Interfax-AVN) - United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) is currently fulfilling a contact for the delivery of 48 Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets for the Russian Air Force, expecting contracts to be signed soon for exporting this type of aircraft, UAC President Mikhail Pogosyan said in an interview with the weekly Ekspert, published on Monday.
"Overall, we plan to sell up to 200 Su-35s on the domestic market and abroad," he said.
Asked what progress has been made in implementing the Su-35 program and how probable is the prospect of exporting these fighter jets to China, Pogosyan said that, "the corporation recently handed a batch of 12 Su-35S aircraft to the 23rd fighter jet regiments in the Khabarovsk territory. The planes are compliant with the serial configuration and have entered service already, Pogosyan said.
"In terms of capabilities, they are the world's best fourth-generation fighter jets, superior to all other aircraft," he said.
"Under the first contract with the Defense Ministry, 48 Su-35 fighter jets are expected to be delivered by 2015. I guess a new contract will be signed for the delivery of Su-35S fighter jets to the Russian Air Force. Contracts for exporting Su-35S fighter jets are expected to be concluded soon," he said.
"Concerning China, the agreements signed with that country do not allow me to comment on the talks," he said.
Asked whether the deal with China is being slowed by fears of these planes' cloning by the Chinese industry, Pogosyan said, "We have a good opportunity to discuss the delivery of Su-35S fighter jets to that country despite achievements being demonstrated by China in the making of its own aircraft," he said.
"We will find a niche on the Chinese market, as well as an opportunity to observe a balance," he said. "Concerning cloning, any reproduction of someone else's know-how, including unlicensed cloning, produces certain effects only at the beginning. It is not a way to make progress in the long-term," Pogosyan said.