Myanmar opts for Russian MiG-29s over Chinese fighters

Russian media has revealed that the military junta in Myanmar may have signed a $570 million contract with Russian arms export monopoly Rosoboronexport for the delivery of MiG-29 fighters for the Myanmar Air Force.

Image: MiG RAC

Business daily Vedomosti quoted sources at Rosoboronexport as saying the Russian bid for the supply of MiG-29 (NATO: Fulcrum-D) fighter jets was preferred over China's offer to supply its latest J-10 and FC-1 fighters. Apparently these combat jets were offered by Beijing at "quite favourable terms."

Myanmar had earlier bought 12 MiG-29 fighters in 2001, but for Russia this contract is the largest since a failed attempt in 2007 to supply Algeria with 34 MiG-29 fighters.

Myanmar had taken Chinese military aircraft worth some $2 billion in the 1990s, the paper said. These were a mix of Chengdu F-7, Shenyang J-6 and Nanchang Q-5 fighters.