Russia To Reschedule Su-30SM Fighter Delivery To Belarus Over Technical Changes

Russia’s 12 Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter jet deliveries to Belarus may be rescheduled for 2019-2020 over technical changes in the aircraft’s equipment set.

“The implementation of a contract on the delivery of 12 Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter jets to Belarus may be rescheduled for 2019-2020 over technical changes in the aircraft’s equipment set,” Belarusian Defense Minister Lieutenant General Andrei Ravkov was quoted as saying by TASS on Monday.

Director of Russia’s Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugayev said in June that Russia and Belarus had signed a contract on the delivery of fighter aircraft.

Later, the Belarusian Defense Ministry confirmed that it had purchased 12 Su-30SM fighters for the republic’s Air Force and Air Defense Forces.

"For the purpose of renewing the fleet of combat aircraft, the Defense Ministry signed a contract with Irkut Research and Production Corporation for the delivery of 12 Su-30SM aircraft in the period of 2018-2020, four planes a year.“,Belarusian Defense Minister Lieutenant General Andrei Ravkov told TASS on Monday.

“Owing to technical changes in the aircraft’s equipment set, the deliveries may be postponed to 2019-2020,” the defense minister added.

Russia and Belarus have arranged for the signing of a contract soon on the delivery of the fifth battery of Tor-M2 antiaircraft missile systems to the republic, Ravkov said.

This year, Russia and Belarus have also signed contracts on the delivery of two Protivnik-G radar stations with spare parts and accessories to the Belarusian Armed Forces, together with three Torn-8P radio control and radio monitoring stations.

"The process of providing the Belarusian army with new armaments is continuous," the defense minister said.

Under the contracts signed with Russia, the Belarusian Armed Forces received six Mil Mi-8MTV-5 helicopters, the fourth battery of Tor-M2 air defense missile systems, a Protivnik-G radar, two Torn-8P radio control and radio monitoring stations and various kinds of modern sniper rifles and special weapons in the first half of 2017, he noted.

"Besides, the first batch of T-72B tanks was deeply upgraded to the level of the T-72B3," the Belarusian defense minister said.