By NNN-Bernama,
New Delhi : Russian state-controlled arms exporter Rosoboronexport said it was keen to sell the fifth generation state-of-the-art Sukhoi fighter aircraft, the multi-role Su-35 Flanker, to Malaysia.
Russian News Information Agency, RIA Novosti reported that two potential Asian countries — India and Malaysia — were on Rosoboronexport’s list.
“Algeria, Malaysia and India are our partners and if they express an interest, we will offer them the Su-35 fighter while fulfilling our current obligations,” Alexander Mikheyev, head of the air force department at Rosoboronexport, said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
The Su-35 fighter jet, powered by two 117S engines, is capable of engaging several air targets simultaneously using both guided and unguided missiles and weapon systems.
The aircraft features the latest Irbis-E radar that allows the pilot to detect and track up to 30 air targets, while simultaneously engaging up to eight targets, said RIA Novosti.
Malaysia had procured 18 Sukhoi Su-30MKM from Russian manufacturers, of which six aircraft were delivered last year and the balance 12 to be supplied in two shipments by end of this year.
The Su-30MKM (multirole, commercial, Malaysian) is a variant of the Su-30MKI(multirole, commercial, Indian), developed for the Indian Air Force, said the agency.
The manufacturer plans to export at least 160 of these new aircraft, billed as 4 generation using fifth-generation technology to foreign clients by 2011.