Article Posted on : - Apr 20, 2012

The R-77 missile.

KUALA LUMPUR (BNS): Russia has signed a contract with Malaysia to supply the RVV-AE air-to-air missiles to the Malaysian Air Force.

The contract, worth $35 million, was signed during the just concluded Defence Services Asia 2012 arms exhibition in Kuala Lumpur.

"Russia will deliver the first batch of missiles by the end of 2012," Russian state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport's Deputy General Director Nikolai Dimidyuk was quoted as saying by Ria Novosti news agency.

Malaysia has 16 MiG-29N Fulcrum and 18 Su-30MKM Flanker fighters in its combat aircraft fleet, according to the news report.

The Russian R-77 (RVV-AE) missile is a medium range air-to-air active radar-guided missile system. It is similar to the US's AIM-120 AMRAAM missile.

The missile is in service since 1994.