Ukraine to Repair Engines of Vietnamese Su-27 Aircraft

23 Juli 2013

Su-27 Vietnam People's Air Force (photo : lockonfiles)

Kyiv (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukroboronservice state-owned enterprise, a part of the state-run concern Ukroboronprom, and Vietnamese VAXUCO have signed a contract on repairs of AL-31F aircraft engines for the Vietnam People’s Air Force.

The press service of the state concern told an Interfax-Ukraine agency that, according to the contract, the Ukrainian side will repair AL-31F aircraft engines at the “Motor” Lutsk Repair Plant in Volyn region. According to a separate agreement, apart from the repairs, the Ukrainian side will also provide Vietnam with technical consulting on overhauls of AL-31F aircraft engines.

The state concern did not disclose other details of the contract.

The AL-31F aircraft engines were designed for the Sukhoi Su-27 fighter aircraft and its modifications.

During a meeting between Ukroboronprom Director General Serhiy Hromov and Commander of the Vietnam People’s Air Force, Colonel General Phuong Minh Hoa before the signing of the contract, the sides reaffirmed their mutual interest in further bilateral military and technical cooperation.

Hromov said that in the near future the Ukrainian side would send to its Vietnamese partners its proposals on the supply and modernization of air defense equipment, aircraft and armored vehicles, as well as on repairs and upgrading of naval equipment. He stressed that training of Vietnamese experts was also an important part of cooperation.

“This part will be taken into account during the signing of further contracts on supplies of military equipment to Vietnam,” he said.

“Vietnam is a promising country for our national defense industry products and we will continue to strengthen Ukraine’s position on the marked of this dynamically developing country,” he said.

In turn, Commander of the Vietnam People’s Air Force praised the signed agreements and cooperation development prospects with Ukraine.

“These agreements open prospects for new contracts on repair documentation, tooling, and facilities for the repairs of aircraft engines. Ukraine is one of Vietnam’s strategic partners in the defense sphere. We are ready to expand cooperation in the spheres of the procurement of new arms, as well as the modernization and prolongation of durability of military equipment of the Vietnam People’s Army,” he said.

Ukraine and Vietnam approved a plan and a program for military and technical cooperation for 2011-2015 in September 2010 on the results of the seventh meeting of their intergovernmental coordinating commission for military and technical cooperation.

The sides have successful cooperation experience, in particular in the sphere of the modernization of a wide range of military equipment for the Vietnamese Army, the creation of an aircraft maintenance facility, and the development of a shipbuilding program for Vietnam.

(Interfax)