US buys more than 80 'no longer in use' Soviet-era fighter jets from Kazakhstan?
Apr 29, 2024
Washington [USA], April 29: Washington bought 81 out of 117 Soviet-era fighter aircraft in the above auction, according to the Kiev Post newspaper on April 28. The US is said to buy those aircraft "through foreign organizations", with a total value of 1.5 million USD.
Kiev Post did not detail the number of aircraft of each type purchased, but reported that the transaction included fighters such as MiG-29 , MiG-27 and Su-24 bombers. Kazakhstan also offered MiG-31 interceptor fighters in the auction.
Also according to Kiev Post , all of the above-mentioned aircraft are listed in "unusable condition" and the cost of modernizing them is considered economically unfeasible. Those warplanes, built in the 1970s and 1980s, were decommissioned under the Kazakh military's modernization program.
US officials have not announced how to use the purchased Soviet-era fighter aircraft. Meanwhile, there is growing speculation that since the aircraft are all in service in Ukraine , there is a possibility that they will eventually be transferred to Kyiv, according to the Kiev Post .
If those warplanes were delivered, Ukrainian forces would likely disassemble them for spare parts or use them as decoys at airfields.
Kazakhstan, which has historically been an ally of Russia, has increasingly cooperated with Western countries since Russia launched its military campaign in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, according to RT Radio.
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev welcomed British Foreign Secretary David Cameron to Astana earlier this month. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Astana last year for talks with Central Asian leaders.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
