Su-30SM Fighters To Replace MiG-29s At Russia’s Airbase In Armenia

Russian Su-30SM fighters will be delivered to 3624th airbase at Erebuni in Armenia belonging to their country to replace MiG-29 aircraft, according to a source from the Russian Defense Ministry.

"The Su-30SM fighter jets will be delivered to our airbase in Armenia starting next year. The delivery of aircraft will be completed in two stages — in 2020-2021. All 18 MiG-29 jets are planned to be replaced with Su-30SM aircraft," the source told TASS.

"When deliveries of new aircraft begin, some pilots will be sent to the Lipetsk aviation center for training, while others will continue serving at the Erebuni airbase," the source noted.

The Su-SM 4+ generation (modernized serial) is designed to dominate fights in the air and to attack ground targets using high-precision modern weapons under both clear and challenging weather conditions.

Armenia currently has 4 units of the Russian jets. In February of this year, there were reports that the country was looking to purchase additional Su-30SM multi-role fighters from Russia.