Pakistan Negotiates Su-35, Su-37 Fighters Acquisition

Pakistan is negotiating to buy Su-35 and Su-37 jets with Russia.

The Pakistani Defense Ministry's delegation which came to the Army-2016 expo includes technical experts, who assess capabilities of the jets as well as appearance of Russian helicopters. 

"Pakistan is involved in negotiations with Russia on a deal for Su-35 and Su-37. We are in initial stage now," Shahab Qadir Khan, deputy director of export promotion services in the Pakistani Defense Export Promotion Organization, told Sputnik Thursday.

"We already have Russian transport helicopters Mi-17, but we are looking for other helicopters, and we are also looking at assessment of Mi-35 to buy in the near future," Qadir Khan added.

The Army-2016 expo, organized by the Russian Defense Ministry, started on Tuesday and is due to last till Sunday.

The Sukhoi Su-35 is a designation for two separate, heavily upgraded derivatives of the Su-27 'Flanker' jet plane. They are single-seat, twin-engine, supermaneuverable multirole fighters, designed by Sukhoi and built by Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association (KnAAPO).

The first variant was designed during the 1980s, when Sukhoi sought to upgrade its high-performance Su-27, and was initially known as the Su-27M.

Later re-designated Su-35, the derivative incorporated aerodynamic refinements with increased maneuverability, enhanced avionics, longer range, and more powerful engines.