A Russian military official denied manufacturing Su-34 fighters for the Algerian Air Force this year.
The Russian Sukhoi SU-34 fighter is among the latest additions to the Russian Air Force arsenal, in operation since 2014.
According to Russian news agency Interfax, reports were denied by the press secretary of Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation Valery Reshetnikov.
On March 15, the Russian press started reporting that the first batch of Sukhoi Su-34ME strike fighters, intended for Algeria, entered production at Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association Plant. The report was later confirmed by the Centre for Analysis of World Arms Trade, a Russian think tank closely linked with the country’s arms industry.
A representative of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSVTS) in Russia stated that Russia did not engage in manufacturing aircraft for Algeria.
Algerian reports confirmed that the first batch of six Russian Su-34 fighter aircraft would be supplied, adding that Algerian pilots would start training to fly the aircraft in the summer of 2022.
Last year, Head of the FSVTS Dmitry Shugayev affirmed: “Many countries are interested in acquiring the Su-34, which has proven its efficiency during combat in Syria.”
The Su-34 is specialised in confronting ground and air targets, as it is equipped with air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles, including an advanced system to protect it from anti-aircraft rockets.
The Russian fighter aircraft can operate in challenging weather conditions, fly for up to four kilometres and carry around eight tonnes of ammunition.
The Algerian version, designated Su-34ME, would reportedly feature a different version of communication and friend-or-foe identification systems, but in all other aspects be identical to the basic production variant currently serving with the Russian Air Force.
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