Armenia is negotiating the purchase of a new batch of Russian Su-30SM fighters, said Defense Minister David Tonoyan.
In 2019, Armenia bought four Su-30SM fighters from Russia. Yerevan announced that it plans to buy new aircraft from Russia.
He also noted that it is planned to establish private Armenian-Russian companies in the military-industrial complex in Armenia.
Russia delivered the first batch of four Sukhois in December 2019 which helped set up Armenia’s air force. Armenia is expected to receive 12 of the 4+ Generation multirole fighters—enough to equip a full squadron—along with the necessary spare parts and munitions to match.
The Sukhois will serve as the backbone for Armenia’s first-ever operational fighter squadron. The Armenian Air Force’s inventory has thus far mostly consisted of 15 aging ground-attack aircraft besides helicopters in attack and utility configurations. Previosuly, air cover was provided by Russian Air Force MiG-29s stationed at the Erebuni Air Force Base.