US Buys 81 Old Soviet Fighter Jets from Kazakhstan, For What?

KYIV – Government United States of America (The US) has reportedly bought up most of the Soviet Union’s old fighter jets from Kazakhstan in an auction.

Kyiv media speculated that the dilapidated planes would be used by Kyiv forces in the Russo-Ukrainian role.

Washington was the winning bidder for 81 of the 117 old planes, purchasing them through “overseas entities” for a combined price of $1.5 million. Kyiv Post on Sunday.

The report did not provide details on how many aircraft of each type were purchased, but said the purchase included MiG-29 fighter jets, MiG-27 fighter-bombers and Su-24 bombers.

Kazakhstan is also offering a MiG-31 interceptor jet in the auction.

According to reports Kyiv Postall aircraft were listed in “unusable condition”, and modernization costs were deemed economically impractical.

The fighters, built in the 1970s and 1980s, were retired under Kazakhstan’s military modernization program.

The average unit cost paid by the US is less than USD 19,000.

In fact, the entire fleet of 81 fighter jets costs just ten AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, one of the air-to-surface munitions commonly used by US drones and fighter planes.