Russia to complete delivery of Su fighter jets to Indonesia by mid-September

MOSCOW - Russia will deliver the last of six contracted Su fighter jets to Indonesia on September 7 and 16, an informed source said on Monday.

Under a $300 million contract, signed in 2007, Russia is to complete the delivery of three Su-30MK2 and three Su-27SKM fighters to Jakarta by the end of 2010 in addition to two Su-27SK and two Su-30MK fighters purchased in 2003.

The third Su-30MK2 jet was delivered in January.

Russia's An-124 transport plane will deliver two Su-27SKM planes to the air base in the city of Makassar in Indonesia's South Sulawesi province on Tuesday, the source said. The other Su-27SKM plane will be delivered to the same base five days later.

The planes will be sent to Indonesia earlier than scheduled following a request by the Indonesian military authorities, who would like the aircraft to take part in a military parade dedicated to Armed Forces Day on October 5, he added.

Indonesia earlier said it needed at least one squadron equipped with 16 Sukhoi fighters to replace part of the outdated fleet of U.S. F-16 fighters.

Source : RIA NOVOSTI