МiG Flew by Algeria

Algeria returns to Russia 15 pieces of MiG - 29SMT transferred to the Algerians in 2006-2007. It happens for the first time in history of military - technical cooperation of the Russian Federation. "Corporation MiG always was the first in the Russian aircraft construction, - editor-in-chief of FORUM.msk Anatoly Baranov considers. - The first high-altitude fighters, the first jet flight, the first supersound, the first ejection on a supersound. Well, now - the first refusal of already paid contract".

Last week Federal Service, "Rosoboronexport", corporation MiG and the Air Forces of Algeria signed official agreement on return of "MiG". More modern MiG - 29M2 and MiG -35 or non-aviation technical equipment are offered in exchange to Algeria, but it is not known precisely if the Algerian party will agree on these conditions.

"Rosoboronexport" signed preferential contract with total cost of 1,286 billion dollars for the delivery 28 pieces of single MiG - 29 SMT and six double fighters MiG - 29 UB in March, 2006. Actually Algeria received "MiG - 29 at a price more than twofold cheaper than an average market price. That contract was signed within the framework of the batch agreement on military - technical cooperation with Algeria for a total sum of about 8 billion dollars. In the process of performance of the stock of order Russia undertook to write off an external debt of Algeria to the former USSR (about 4,7 billion dollars). For the first time in practice of corporation MiG delivery passed under the circuit trade-in: it was supposed that in the process of updating a park of the Algerian Air Forces with new MiG - 29 SMT/UB old machines of this mark (36 units) purchased by Algeria in the 1990th years in Belarus and Ukraine, will go to RAC "MiG".

- In reality conditions turned out to be not so preferential, - Anatoly Baranov explained. - We shall say that the USA deliver second-hand fighters frequently free-of-charge, counting upon incomes from service, repair and modernization of the machine that for the whole period of servicing the plane makes the sum of approximately 80% from its cost. Delivery of MiG - 29 SMT on the one hand was preferential - new planes instead of second-hand were delivered at half price. But on the other hand it's an old model, in addition, as it's stipulated by the contract, its fuselage was produced more than 10 years ago. That is actually RAC "MiG" realized its warehouse rests.

Deliveries of the planes should be carried out since March, 2007 till February, 2008. But since May, 2007 Algeria stopped acceptance of machines having demanded return of first 15 pieces of "MiG" to Russia. Algeria pointed out on presence of second-hand or poor quality of separate units and details in structure of the planes which was not stipulated by the contract - "stuffing" should be not only new but also correspond to a complete set 4 +. Algeria stopped payments under other military contracts on 423 million dollars, having rigidly connected it with return of "MiG". As a result, according to the Ministry of Finance of Russia, to the 1^st of February, 2008 the total sum of "military payments" received from Algeria which were fixed under the special account of repayment of the debt made up 1,83 billion dollars, the newspaper marks.

- Experts connect claims with activization of France which advertises in this region its fighters Rafale but these, certainly, are excuses for justification of pricked heads RAC "MiG", - Anatoly Baranov considers. - As these are one and the same persons. "Indian" contract has already shown that industrial base of RAC "MiG" is completely destroyed and corporation is not capable to produce serially new machines. Yes, servicing works, operational development, modernizations which do not demand serious base are still possible. It exists in some kind of Experimental Design Office named after Mikoyan with small pilot production. As to a serial factory in Moscow, former "Znamya Truda", nowadays the Industrial center named after Voronin today is possibly to consider only as a platform for building for the Moscow authorities. It is possible to say that the factory doesn't exist. As to production center in Lukhovitsy, conditions for a batch production were not created there, the program of assembly of Tu - 334 failed. For last years management of RAC "MiG" changed three times, there was no person and no time, by and large, to get engaged in real manufacture - all that reminded liquidating committee. Let's look, what was done for last 8 years on MiG. The program on modernization of MiG - 29 SMT and SМТ-2 as it is seen from a situation with Algeria, failed. Conversion program of average magistral plane Tu - 334 failed and closed though manufacture was almost ready. The program of a fighter of the 5-th generation is closed though the unique in the country prototype rose in air. The program of a new deck fighter MiG - 29К failed. The project of a training-warplane MiG - АТ is turned off though the machine is ready, shown on air shows and formally is accepted by Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. Actually, that is all that MiG had. Now corporation can be closed having left Design Bureau as a small fragment and experimental plant for servicing of the planes delivered earlier to Ministry of Defence and foreign countries.

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