DTN News - UGANDA DEFENSE NEWS: Uganda In Talks For More Su-30 Fighter Jets
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Ria Novosti
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - September 23, 2012: Uganda is in talks with Russian state arms export company Rosoboronexport over an option purchase of six more Sukhoi Su-30 multirole fighter jets, the company's Deputy Director Alexander Mikheyev said on Friday at an arms exhibition in South Africa.
Uganda signed its first contract to buy six Su-30MK2 fighters this year, he said. "Now, we are talking about an option, the Ugandans expressed interest in buying another six aircraft of this type," he said.
Rosoboronexport has also signed a contract to sell six Mi-17 helicopters to Ghana, he said.
"We have signed a contract this year to sell six Mi-17s to Ghana," he said. The first two aircraft will be delivered to Ghana in a year, he said, adding talks are also underway about setting up a helicopter service center in the region.
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Ugandan Su-30 fighter pilots are leaving the air force. Two of the eight recently trained Su-30 pilots have already resigned and the other six are threatening to do the same. It's all about money, or the lack of it. Ugandan Air Force fighter pilots are paid $500 a month, while foreign pilots brought in to do the same work receive $8,000 a month. Ugandan pilots working for air lines receive the same pay as foreign pilots and Ugandan pilots are demanding the same deal. The government promised its Ugandan Su-30 pilots a raise last year but the money never came through.
In the last year Uganda has received six Russian Su-30 jet fighters. Uganda paid $124 million each for their Su-30s, this included the cost of setting a maintenance operation and for training. There was much local opposition to this deal, not least because it consumed a third of Uganda's foreign reserves. The high price also indicated some payoffs were involved.
Uganda justified the need for these high-performance jets because regional neighbors like Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Sudan operate MiG-29s. But other neighbors may now feel obliged to upgrade their air forces as well. Oil was discovered in Uganda five years ago, so now there is something to defend and a way to pay for it. Su-30s cost several million dollars a year to maintain (assuming they will be flown often enough to sustain pilot skills). In the past fifty years most African nations that have obtained high-performance jets did not maintain them well, and these jet fighters eventually became useless and permanently grounded.
The 37 ton Su-30 is roughly equivalent to the 25 ton U.S. F-15. Of course, the F-15 comes in many versions, as does the Su-27 (which the Su-30 is a variant of). India bought SU-30MKIs, which are more similar to the two seat F-15E fighter-bomber. The Indian aircraft was equipped with French and Israeli electronics. Even so, the Su-30MKIs cost less than half what Uganda is paying. The Su-30 can carry more than eight tons of bombs and hit targets over 1,500 kilometers away.
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OPERATORS (WIKIPEDIA)
- Algerian Air Force has 28 Su-30MKs in service as of January 2012. 16 were ordered in 2010 instead of 36 MiG-29SMT/UBT aircraft.
- People's Liberation Army Air Force operates the Su-30MKK variant. The People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force operates the Su-30MK2 variant.
- Indian Air Force operates the Su-30MKI variant. The IAF has over 140 Su-30MKIs in service.
- Indonesian Air Force ordered three Su-30MK2s; it received two on 26 December 2008 and the third in 2009. Another 6 fighters were ordered in 2010. It has 2 Su-30MK and 3 Su-30MK2s in operational use as of January 2012.
- Royal Malaysian Air Force after a close visit to see India's Su-30MKI, ordered 18 Su-30MKMs in May 2003. The first 2 Su-30MKMs were formally handed over in Irkutsk on 23 May 2007, later arrived in Gong Kedak airbase on 21 June. As part of the contract, Russia sent the first Malaysian cosmonaut to the International Space Station in October 2007. Malaysia had 12 Su-30MKMs in service with 6 on order in November 2008. Due to past issues with aircraft support, Malaysia was to purchase spare parts from China.
- Russian Air Force received 5 Su-30s in 1994–1996. It operates 9 Su-30s, including 4 Su-30M2s delivered in 2011. The Russian Air force is to receive 10 more Su-30M2s in 2012. Another 30 Su-30SMs were ordered in 2012 with options for 12 more; deliveries are to be completed by 2015.
- Ugandan Air Force has ordered 6 Su-30MK2s, and received two on 8 July 2011. The aircraft order cost is estimated at $740 million (Shs1.8 trillion). It has 4 Su-30MK2s in use as of January 2012.
- Venezuelan Air Force and the government of Venezuela announced on 14 June 2006 the purchase of 24 units of the Su-30MK2. The first two Su-30MK2s arrived in early December 2006 while another 8 were commissioned during 2007; 14 more units arrived in 2008. A second batch of 12 Su-30MKV is also being considered. It has 24 Su-30MK2s as of January 2012.
- Vietnam People's Air Force operates 4 Su-30MK and 18 Su-30MK2s as of January 2012. Vietnam reportedly signed a contract for 12 more Su-30MK2s in 2009, but the contract was reduced to 8 fighters. On 20 July 2010, it was announced at Farnborough International Airshowthat Vietnam signed a contract for 20 Su-30MK2s.
*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Ria Novosti
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