Russia to Deliver 18 Used Su-30K Fighter Aircraft to Angola

Russia is to deliver 18 used Su-30K fighter aircraft to an unspecified African country, which is presumed to be Angola. Twelve aircraft will be delivered initially, followed by another batch of six.

The Su-30K aircraft in question formerly belonged to the Air Force of India and were part of the initial aircraft supplied as part of the Su-30MKI deal agreed to in 1996 between Russia and India.

At the time of signing, the Su-30MKI did not exist, but was a paper design that would have to be developed. Basically, the Su-30MKI is a modified version of the Russian Su-30MK, but with certain Russian components such as the avionics replaced by western or Indian parts.

It also incorporated features found in the more advanced Su-35 / Su-37. Unlike the basic Su-30MK, the Su-30MKI features canards as in the Su-35 and thrust-vectoring engines as in the Su-37.

According to the 1996 deal, 40 Su-30 aircraft would be build in Russia and delivered to India, which was later increased to 50 when India bought another 10 aircraft in 1998.