On March 12, 2026, Myanmar held an official ceremony to induct two russian Su-30SME aircraft, with tail numbers 1901 and 1902, into its Air Force. This marks the conclusion of the agreement between russia and Myanmar for the delivery of six Su-30SME aircraft with a total value of $400 million, which was financed by a russian loan.
This story is significant because it was russia's last "legal contract" for the export of combat aircraft, signed prior to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This is also noteworthy, as delivering just six Su-30SME aircraft took a full eight years.
Read more: Why Is russia Moving Tu-160s, Tu-95 Bombers to the Ramenskoye Airfield Near Moscow: a New Strategic Base or the MAKS Air Show?
The agreement was signed in January 2018. Speculation suggests that the $400 million deal did not include the Su-30SME's air-to-air armament. Notably, Myanmar remains the sole customer of the russian Su-30SME, the export variant of the Su-30SM.
The option involving a $400 million loan seems generally logical for Myanmar, a country with an annual defense budget equivalent to $60–65 million. However, as of last year, the country officially had 63 fighter jets on paper, including 31 MiG-29s of various modifications, 21 F-7s, and 11 Chinese-made FT-7s.
The aircraft were delivered to Myanmar from russia in batches of two jets each, and the timing of these deliveries is revealing. The first two Su-30SME aircraft, with tail numbers 1905 and 1904, were ready on paper as early as April 2019, but were actually transferred to Myanmar only in March 2022. Flights on these aircraft began in July of that year. The official ceremony marking their induction into the national Air Force took place in December 2022.
The interval between the second batch and the next two Su-30SME aircraft was significantly shorter. In August 2022, production was underway on the aircraft designated 1906 and 1907. In December 2023, an official ceremony was held to induct them into the Myanmar Air Force.
The Myanmar Air Force received the final batch of two Su-30SME aircraft in December 2024. These are the same aircraft with serial numbers 1901 and 1902. The reason it took almost 1.5 years from delivery to the official induction of these aircraft into service remains unclear.
It is equally likely that the issue stemmed from problems with training pilots and technical personnel, or from the need to fix technical malfunctions in the russian Su-30SMEs destined for Myanmar.
Ivan Kyrychevskyi, serviceman of the 413th Raid Regiment of the Unmanned Systems Forces of Ukraine and weapons expert at Defense Express.
Read more: Elbit Wins U.S. Contract for Aircraft Laser Weapons After Claiming Breakthrough in Size Constraints
