Bangladesh wants more

Bangladesh will purchase additional 16 MiG-29SE fighter jets from Russia to supplement 8 similar planes acquired last year.

Vice-Marshal of Aviation Dzhamal Uddin Akhmed mentioned that Russian planes proved efficient within Bangladesh Air Force.

Russia will provide service personel and advisors for the entire money-back guarantee period. Full brigade of experienced professionals is already stationed in Bangladesh and provides assistance in exploitation of Russian combat jets.

Earlier, trainees from Bangladesh passed full CP (course of preparations) on MiG-29 jets at one of training facilities in Russian Federation.

"We are completely satisfied with Russian aviation hardware: all arms, that Bangladesh receives from Russia is reliable and very combat-efficient", - mentioned Dzhamal Uddin Akhmed.

Remark:
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Bangladesh to Sell Off Its 8 MiGs

Bangladesh plans to sell the eight MiG-29 fighters it bought three years ago from Russia because they are too costly to maintain and no longer needed, according to published reports Wednesday.

``Bangladesh does not need such [MiG-29] planes and cannot foot their huge maintenance bills. These will be sold out,`` Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia told Dainik Dinkal.

Khaleda`s predecessor, Sheikh Hasina, bought the fighters from Russia in 1999 for about $124 million that included spare parts and funds for pilot training. Khaleda said the purchase involved ``financial wrongdoing,`` an allegation Hasina had rejected.

The country`s anti-corruption bureau is investigating Hasina and several of her ministers over the purchase.

``We are spending some 1 billion taka [$17 million] annually on their maintenance,`` Dinkal quoted Khaleda as saying. ``The cost is too high.``

/Reuters/
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