Russia finalized the delivery of six Su-30SME multirole fighters to the Myanmar Air Force on March 12, 2026, during a ceremony at the Meiktila Air Force Academy near Mandalay, according to the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST).
The event marked the induction of two Su-30SME aircraft, tail numbers “1901” and “1902,” along with Chinese-made K-8W trainer-light attack jets. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Chairman of the National Defence and Security Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces, attended the ceremony.
The contract for six Su-30SME fighters was signed in January 2018 between the Myanmar government and Russia’s Rosoboronexport during Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s visit. Unofficial Russian sources estimate the deal at approximately $400 million, likely excluding onboard armament, with financing provided through a Russian government loan, CAST reported.
The first Su-30SME was presented to Senior General Min Aung Hlaing at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant in April 2019. The initial two aircraft (“1904” and “1905”) were delivered in March 2022 and began operational flights from Naypyidaw and Meiktila airfields in July of the same year. These aircraft were officially commissioned into service on December 15, 2022. Two additional jets (“1906” and “1907”) joined in December 2023, and the final pair (“1901” and “1902”) completed Myanmar’s six-jet operational fleet.
Myanmar is the first and only foreign operator of the Su-30SME — the export variant of the Russian Su-30SM. Completion of the deliveries enhances the Myanmar Air Force’s capability to conduct advanced operational training on modern Russian multirole fighters.
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