LIDA, 23 November (BelTA) – Belarus intends to buy at least one squadron of new-generation multi-purpose aircraft Su-30SM by 2020, BelTA learned from Oleg Dvigalev, Chief of the Air Force and Air Defense Command of the Belarusian army.
A solemn ceremony took place in Lida, Grodno Oblast on 23 November to hand over four new combat and training aircraft Yak-130 to the 116th Guards Attack Aircraft Air Base of the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense. The aircraft were made by the Russian R&D corporation Irkut. Oleg Dvigalev presented the logbooks of the aircraft to the air base technicians. It was the second batch of the Yak-130 aircraft transferred to the Belarusian army. The first batch of four Yak-130 aircraft was handed over to the air base in 2015.
Oleg Dvigalev remarked that plans had been made to acquire new-generation multi-purpose aircraft Su-30SM. The aircraft did well during the conflict in Syria. The aircraft are in use in a number of countries. Su-30SM aircraft are made by the same company that makes Yak-130 aircraft. Plans have been made to buy at least a squadron of multi-purpose aircraft Su-30SM by 2020.
Belarusian DOSAAF (Voluntary Society for Assisting the Army, Air Force and Navy) also intends to buy a Yak-152 aircraft from the Russian corporation Irkut. Oleg Dvigalev remarked: “Since our pilots begin training in DOSAAF, we will be able to build a complete training chain starting with the training aircraft Yak-152, moving on to the combat and training aircraft Yak-130 and ending with the multi-purpose aircraft Su-30SM.”
