The quality-price ratio made Kazakhstan chose Russian Su-30SM fighter jets instead of French Rafale, according to Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Air Defense and head of the main armaments department Yerzhan Nildibayev.

"We had no plans [to buy Rafale]. It is a very expensive aircraft, so we choose Su-30SM by the quality-price ratio," he told a briefing.

He specified that the Kazakh air defense forces plan to buy ten Su-30SM jets and two Tor-M2 batteries in 2023-2024.

In November, La Tribune quoted sources as saying France proposed Rafale to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and the Dassault Aviation had been promoting the offer for several months.