The Air Force of Kazakhstan has been reinforced with six new Su-30SM multirole fighters from the Irkutsk Aviation Plant (part of the UAC). The republic's authorities refused to purchase fourth-generation Dassault Rafale fighters from France. This is according to Bulgarian Military.
According to Bulgarian Military, the fighters are located at Shymkent Airport. They will replace the old Soviet MiG-29 fighters that have been decommissioned.
In 2020, Russia completed deliveries under three previous contracts, as a result of which the Air Force of Kazakhstan received 24 Su-30SM fighters. Taking into account the loss of one aircraft and the delivery of six new ones, the fleet numbers 29 Su-30SMs.
In 2023, experts said that Kazakhstan was considering purchasing Dassault Rafale from France. Apparently, Astana switched from Russia to Western Europe, analysts claimed. However, their predictions did not come true.
The decision to expand the Su-30SM fleet will avoid additional costs associated with introducing a new type of aircraft into the country's Air Force. In particular, pilots will not have to undergo training, and there will be no problems with spare parts. In addition, the use of Russian aircraft will not require the creation of new infrastructure.
The purchase of Su-30SMs with their deployment at key airbases such as Shymkent and Karaganda is an important step in modernizing the Air Force of Kazakhstan.
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