KUALA LUMPUR. May 19 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian and Malaysian officials on Monday initialed a contract for the delivery of 18 Russian SU-30MKM multi-purpose fighters to the Malaysian Air Force.
"The document will take effect a little later, although all its main provisions have already been agreed upon," Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov told journalists in Kuala Lumpur. He added that some legal formalities have yet to be discussed.
first deputy general director Sergei Chemezov of the Rosoboronexport state-owned arms trader signed the USD900m contract for Russia.
Under the terms of the contact, these aircraft are to be supplied to Malaysia within the next five years and will be added to the 18 Russian MIG-29 Fulcrum fighters delivered in 1996.
The SU-30MKM airplane defeated the U.S. F/A-18E/D Super Hornet to win Malaysia's tender to purchase multipurpose fighters.
Malaysian Defense Minister Najib Tun Razak visited the Irkut plant which produces SU-30MKM fighters in 2002. In March 2002, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad and Najib Tun Razak watched an SU-30MKM perform a demonstration flight at a testing ground in Zhukovsky in the Moscow region.
The SU-30MKM is a modified fourth-generation version of the SU-30MKM fighters delivered to India. The airplane features an onboard radar system capable of keeping track of up to 15 targets simultaneously and can carry air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles with a range of up to 120 kilometers.