December
27, 2006: Sri Lanka has purchased another four second-hand MiG-27 fighter
bombers. The aircraft are being purchased from Ukraine, for about $2.5 million
each. This is the second MiG-27 purchase, as six were bought in 2000, along
with a MiG-23. Since then, three of the MiG-27s have been lost, two to
accidents (equipment failure while airborne) and one on the ground due to an
enemy attack. When the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, Ukraine found itself the
owner of thousands of Soviet warplanes, which had been based there in
anticipation of a war with NATO countries. Ukraine did not need most of these
aircraft, especially the older ones like the MiG-23s and 27s (both from the
1970s.)
The
20 ton MiG-27 is a ground attack version of the MiG-23 (which was the Russian
successor to the MiG-21, and influenced by the American F-4 Phantom). The
MiG-27 carries a 30mm cannon (with 300 shells), and up to four tons of bombs or
missiles. Sri Lanka also has a dozen Israel Kfir fighter bombers (an Israeli
design based on the French Mirage 5). Israel stopped using the Kfir in the
1990s and has been selling them off cheap. The Kfir is a 14 ton aircraft with
two 30mm cannon (with 120 shells each), and can carry up to five tons of other
weapons. Sri Lanka has been using the Mig-27s and Kfirs to attack LTTE rebel
base camps and artillery positions.
