Kazakhstan Opts for Russian Su-30SM Fighters Over French Rafale Due to Cost Efficiency

Kazakhstan has officially chosen to procure Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter jets instead of the French Rafale, as confirmed by Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Air Defense and Head of the Main Armaments Department, Yerzhan Nildibayev.

Addressing a recent briefing, Nildibayev stated, "We had no plans [to buy Rafale]. It is a very expensive aircraft, so we choose Su-30SM by the quality-price ratio."

Kazakhstan's air defense forces are set to acquire ten Su-30SM jets and two Tor-M2 batteries between 2023 and 2024.

Reports surfaced in November, indicating that France proposed Rafale to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan during President Emmanuel Macron's visit. However, Kazakhstan firmly denied considering the Rafale, emphasizing the more favorable price-to-quality advantage offered by the Russian-made Su-30SM aircraft.

Colonel Yerzhan Nildibayev reiterated during a briefing on November 30 that no negotiations took place regarding the Rafale. He emphasized, "Nice plane, but very expensive. Therefore, we believe that when choosing the question of ‘price-quality,’ we have so far settled on the Su-30SM aircraft."

Contrary to initial reports, the Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan denied Rafale purchase rumors.