(JNi.media) Iran has signed contracts to the tune of $21 billion with Russia, to buy satellite-related equipment and the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ-100) aircraft, Sputnik reported on Saturday.
Manouchehr Manteghi, managing director of Iran Aviation Industries Organization, said “there is a large share of contracts for the purchase of this type of aircraft.”
The Sukhoi Superjet 100 is a modern fly-by-wire twin-engine regional jet with 108 passenger seats. It claims substantially lower operating costs than its comparable Antonov An-148, the Brazilian Embraer S.A., and the Canadian Bombardier. It also offers a lower purchase price of $35 million.
The exact number of Superjets Iran plans to purchase has not been revealed.
Iranian Vice President Sorena Sattari told the Russian Kommersant daily in late August that his country was in talks with Russia for the purchase of at least two types of military aircraft. According to Sattari, Tehran is also interested in using Russian rocket carriers to launch its own satellites into orbit.
On May 9, 2012, a Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 with 37 passengers and eight crew members on board crashed after taking off from Jakarta, Indonesia, killing everyone on board.
In related news, on Saturday, in New York, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told President of the European Council Donald Tusk that Iran is ready to boost its cooperation with the European Union “considerably.”
“The EU member-states suffered the most during the sanctions era and in the new era we should renovate and expand Iran-EU relations to compensate for the past,” the Iranian president said.