A Russian news agency says that Vietnam has bought 12 Russian fighter jets in a deal worth $1 billion. The Interfax news agency reported Wednesday that the Sukhoi Su-30MK2 jets will be delivered to Vietnam in 2011-2012 under a contract signed last week. A spokesman at Russia's state arms trader Rosoboronexport refused to comment on the report.
The reported deal comes amid tensions between Vietnam and China over the Spratly and Paracel islands in the South China Sea. Interfax has reported previously that Vietnam has already ordered eight Sukhoi fighter jets last and also struck a $2 billion deal to buy six diesel-electric "Project 636" Varshavyanka submarines from Russia. Vietnam is still using significant numbers of Soviet weapons supplied by Moscow during the Cold War.