Kazakhstan Sells Warplanes to the USA
The United States has made a significant purchase of 81 Soviet-era fighter jets from Kazakhstan at an astonishingly low price of less than $20,000 each. This deal was reported by Kyiv Post, stating that Kazakhstan auctioned off a total of 117 Soviet-era warplanes, including models such as MiG-31, MiG-27, MiG-29, and Su-24.
The reason behind Kazakhstan’s decision to sell these planes was due to their unusable condition, lack of practicality in modernization, and limited utility as a source of spare parts. The declared sales value of these aircraft is one billion Kazakhstan tenge, equivalent to 2.26 million dollars, making the average price of each plane around $19,300.
While the specific purpose of the US purchase has not been disclosed, it is speculated that these fighter jets may be destined for Ukraine, where similar aircraft are currently in service. This acquisition aligns with a trend where Ukraine’s Western allies have obtained Soviet military equipment from various countries and provided them to Ukraine.
Given Ukraine’s reliance on Soviet-era weapons, these newly acquired planes could serve as spare parts or be strategically deployed as decoys at airports, as reported by Kyiv Post. Kazakhstan, formerly part of the Soviet Union, has historically been a strong ally of Russia but has shifted towards closer ties with the West following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Experts believe that Kazakhstan’s efforts to enhance its military capabilities are in line with its growing relations with Western countries, signaling a departure from its historical alliance with Moscow. This move reflects a geopolitical shift in Central Asia as Kazakhstan seeks to align itself more closely with Western interests.
