Myanmar orders 20 MiG-29 fighters from Russia

Russia is to supply Myanmar with a further 20 MiG-29 jet fighters, according to the news agency Agence France-Presse, quoting the Russian daily Kommersant on Wednesday.

Russia and Myanmar signed a contract several weeks ago for the purchase of the aircraft at a cost of nearly 400 million euros ($570 million), the paper reported, quoting a source close to the Russian arms company Rosoboronexport.

Kommersant said it was the biggest export contract for MiG-29 fighters since a deal with Algeria in 2007. Myanmar took delivery of a dozen MiG-29 fighters from Russia in 2001, the paper said.

One source close to Rosoboronexport told the paper that Russia secured the MiG-29 deal by beating off an offer by China to supply Myanmar with “ultra-modern” J-10 and FC-1 fighters “on very advantageous conditions.”

Russia, a staunch ally of Myanmar at the UN, is among the country's leading arms suppliers. Russia is to build a “nuclear studies” center in Myanmar, which will include a 10-megawatt, light water-moderated nuclear reactor.

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