Russia To Order MiG-29SMT Fighter Jets

WARSAW — Russia’s Mienistry of Defense is aiming to order 16 Mikoyan MiG-29SMT jet fighters for the Russian Air Force, said Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov. 

The ministry is expecting to ink the contract in the first quarter of this year, Borisov told local news agency RIA Novosti.

Meanwhile, the Russian military is also awaiting the delivery of Su-35 jet fighters, expected to begin in early 2014, according to the deputy defense minister. In January, the aircraft completed its test flights.

“Only five years ago, the Ministry of Defense was buying one or two fighters per year, and in 2014 [it will acquire] 100 aircraft and more than 100 helicopters,” Borisov said.

The MiG-29SMT, which entered serial production in 2004, is manufactured by Moscow-based Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG. The jet fighter is fitted with a glass cockpit and a Zhuk-ME radar, which allows it to track up to 10 air targets and fire missiles at four targets simultaneously. The aircraft has a top speed of 2,400 kilometers per hour at high altitudes, according to data released by the manufacturer. 

Sumber : Defensenews