Uganda denies buying Russian jets

The New Vision ^ | 4/5/2010 | Taddeo Bwambale

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Uganda has denied international media reports that it has signed a deal for the purchase of six fighter jets from a Russian company.

Several Russian media houses yesterday reported that state-owned arms exporter Rosoboronexport signed two contracts worth $1.2b for the delivery of six fighters to Uganda and another 16 to Algeria.

“The two African nations will receive different models of the Su-30 Flanker fighters,” said Vedomosti, Russia’s most reputable business daily, adding that Kampala will receive the Su-30MK2 model.

Russia’s state-owned radio, The Voice of Russia, quoting a Moscow military-diplomatic source, said Uganda was planning to sign the agreement and pay for the planes with oil money.

“Since Uganda is short of real money to pay for the planes, Russian LUKoil is negotiating its potential participation in developing large oil fields in Uganda, implying a possible swapping,” said the radio.

However, army spokesperson Lt. Col. Felix Kulayigye dismissed the reports as untrue.

“We had negotiations with the Russians over the jet fighters but upon realising that the cost was too high, we decided otherwise,” he said. “We never entered into an agreement with them.”

Instead, he said, the Ugandan airforce decided to send its six MIG-21 fighter planes for overhaul to Russia about two weeks ago. He did not say at what cost.

Defence minister Crispus Kiyonga said he first needed to see the details of the media reports before commenting.

The Su-30 fighter plane is a two-seater, multi-role fighter, capable of accomplishing many combat missions at significant distances from the home base in any weather conditions, both by day and night.

[Viking2002]

'Uganda denies buying Russian jets.....'

.....but they don't deny sacrificing small children in pagan rituals or boiling people for the tribal buffet table. I can't believe these throwbacks can even comprehend the technological intricacies of a MIG fighter.

[GladesGuru]

22 “smoking holes in the ground, coming up!”