Libya to Buy Fighter Planes, S-300PMU-2 and T-90S Tanks from Russia

Libya's defense minister arrived in Moscow on Tuesday for talks that Russian media said could result in a $2 billion defense contract including 20 jets.Officials in the Libyan Embassy in Moscow confirmed that Major General Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr was making the trip but declined to discuss the likelihood of a deal, saying only that a news conference might be scheduled for Wednesday.

"Libya is ready to buy around 20 fighter planes, not less than two divisions of S-300PMU-2 air defense systems, several dozen T-90S tanks from Russia, and also to modernize more than 140 T-72 tanks and other weapons," Interfax reported, citing what it called "a military-diplomatic source."Vedomosti reported that the package could be worth up to $2 billion, citing sources who said the sale of the S-300 systems was "practically agreed."

A spokesman for state-controlled arms exporter Rosoboronexport could not be contacted for comment. Interfax reported that $1 billion of the deal was for 12 to 15 multifunction fighter jets such as the Su-35 and the Su-30, as well as Yak-130 trainer planes.