The US bought 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Kazakhstan for $1.5m.
  • The US has purchased 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Kazakhstan, the Kyiv Post reports.
  • Kazakhstan, a historic ally of Russia, is engaging more with Western nations.
  • The planes could be used for spare parts or deployed as decoys in conflict regions, the Post said.

The US has acquired 81 obsolete Soviet-era combat aircraft from Kazakhstan, the Kyiv Post reported.

Kazakhstan, which is upgrading its air fleet, auctioned off 117 Soviet-era fighter and bomber aircraft, including MiG-31 interceptors, MiG-27 fighter bombers, MiG-29 fighters, and Su-24 bombers from the 1970s and 1980s.

The declared sale value was one billion Kazakhstani tenge, said the Post, or $2.26 million, equalling an average value for each plane of $19,300.

The US purchased 81 of the aged, unusable warplanes, said the Ukrainian Telegram channel Insider UA, per the Post.

The motive behind the US purchase remains undisclosed, said the Post, but it raised the possibility of their use in Ukraine, where similar aircraft are in service.

  • DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafeEnglish
    35·
    6 months ago

    I’m actually pretty upset.

    I assume this was a bulk discount, but still. If they’d asked I bet there could have been a hell of a GoFundMe.

    • HootinNHollerin@lemmy.worldEnglish
      172·
      6 months ago

      I’d join a time share for that and could maybe turn a profit flying it at airshows (edit: scratch that)

      But Ukraine deserves it more

      • Alteon@lemmy.worldEnglish
        19·
        6 months ago

        You’d go bankrupt in maintenance costs and upkeep within the first month. You’d be looking at about $9,000 per hour of flight time in maintenance and component costs, and about $7,500 in fuel costs (JP-8).

        The are going to strip these for spare parts. I guarantee it.

        • Amanduh@lemm.eeEnglish
          2·
          6 months ago

          I was thinking more of like putting it on my land to look at not fly

            • Amanduh@lemm.eeEnglish
              1·
              6 months ago

              Well 20k isn’t a lot for some people lol, or could take a loan and pay it off. Like someone else said it’s basically the price of a car

      • CptEnder@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        6 months ago

        Look, we just want it for reasons ok? What do you mean “stop measuring our front yard for a Su-27”, “You’ll be on a watch list”?

        Yeahhhhh ok Ukraine does need them more kicks rocks