AFP
     January 23, 2012 8:36PM

SYRIA has signed a $526.9 million contract to purchase 36 Yak-130
advanced  fighter planes from Russia.

The Kommersant business daily reported today that the deal was signed in
December with Russia's Rosoboronexport state defence corporation.

Kommersant cited a source close to the agency as saying that production
of the jets would begin once the advance payment was made.

The two-seater entered serial production in 2009, with the defence
ministry placing an order for 55 of the combat trainers from the Irkut
defence corporation, according to Russian press reports.

The jets destined for Syria will be built separately from the ones
commissioned by the Russian air force, Kommersant said.

"As soon as Syria transfers the advance to Russia, the factory will
immediately assume the assembly of the second set for Syria," an unnamed
source told the paper.

A Rosoboronexport spokesman declined to comment.

The US has expressed repeated concerns over Russia's military trade ties
with Syria, which have continued despite the violent crackdown on
protests pursued by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Russia, which along with China has blocked United Nations Security
Council action against Assad, has defended the ties as legal under
international law.

"We are only trading items with Syria that are not banned by
international law," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said last week.

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