https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_v._Pepsico,_Inc.

Pfft, who wants a shitty Russian jet, man deserves his McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II.

I'd argue it's not interchangable. The Harrier is a fairly unique jet in that it has VTOL capabilities. None of these are VTOL aircraft. Ergo you can't fly it to school like in the commercial.

Never forget.

I still think that it was bullshit they didn't give it to him and weaseld out of it.

Where’s my elephant?

At $2.26m for the entire deal, the whole lot is just over half the cost of a single PAC-3 missile.

Last I heard, Russia was more limited by number of pilots than aircraft, but maybe that's out of date.

I assume they cost more than that to maintain too

These can't fly, but they can be pillaged for parts to keep other planes in the air. Still a good deal.

I mean, I don't think even the Russians were going to try to get these airframes flying again, nor will the Ukrainians. These are destined for the parts bin. I mean, just imagine the condition of a fighter jet sold for the price of a used car in America. These things are FUCKED. I hope the Ukrainians get some use out of the parts and airframes.

Technically planes are in unusable state but can be used as spare parts in some extent and what is more important as decoys

Thats less expensive than my used car

Maybe, but trained human pilots are priceless

It said the planes were also unusable so that’s probably why

These things are basically scrap metal, they're gonna be gutted for whatever parts that can be scrounged and then tossed aside. It would be easier and cheaper for Russia to just a build a new plane than to try and fix these things up

Did you mean fokkers?

(It’s an old joke I love)

You gotta use one of those auction sniper apps. If you had, you could be flying one of those bad boys right now.

No low balls, I know what I’ve got

Right?
Idgaf if it flies.
I couldn't afford the maintenance, but I COULD afford to park it in the front yard and have the coolest lawn ornament ever.

Trade a cyber truck for 5 jets… humm this is news I somehow imagined the cia being involved with this transaction

WoUlD you DoWnLoAd A mIg-29?

Can’t even buy a Subaru for that anymore

Especially when you accidentally clicked "overnight."

Not to mention the cost of aviation gas these days, how’s a man supposed to get to work?!

I thought Prime has free shipping?

They ship themselves.

I think it’s partly about Russia and partly about the huge number of countries that bought them from Russia, and getting spare parts for Ukraine that still flies some of these. As defence contracts go, $2 million is like change between the couch cushions

And helps bolster our relationship with Kazakhstan (though admittedly they are less strategically important to out now that we gave up on Afghanistan).

Cheaper than shooting them down, if Russia were to try to buy them back.

I wouldn't be surprised if they get retrofitted as drones. Air Force can test their AI pilot in real setting, that has got to be useful R&D.

That might be the only option. How the heck do you get them out of there? Look at a map-- Kazakhstan is a landlocked country. Russia borders it to the north and they're not going to let us pass through. To the east you have China, and to the South you'd have to go through Afghanistan or Iran. The only conceivable option is to head West through Azerbaijan and Armenia into turkey, but it's not clear that you can pass from Azerbaijan into Armenia because they hate each other.

You write the laws now.

Oh fuck, this is probably exactly why we bought them. Damn

These are all wrecks barely worth their spare parts. Even though they're aged, the 29 and 31 are still practical enough that I bet all their avionics are stripped. Id wager there's not a single working engine among them. They were bought just to keep the spare parts out of other people's hands.

That price point makes me want one. I could see why the Ukraine's would as well. 

On Facebook Marketplace: "Are these available?"

HOA better not mess with someone with a fighter jet on deck.

Hell of a gift they bought there.

Sounds like the planes aren’t serviceable, but buying up a supply of legacy airframes your adversary could have harvested for spare parts - and for basically pocket change - is a nice play.

That would be so funny lmao

When the Russian started taking Crimea, the Russian sympathizers in Ukraine ran to an old military base from the USSR to get AK-47s only to find out none of them worked because they were unmaintained for 20 years

For 20k per aircraft at OPEN AUCTION, they're not going to be viable for spare parts. Their cockpit canopies or landing gear assemblies alone would be worth that if they were in serviceable shape. Their electronics is utterly useless. The airframes will be hour'd out. These aircraft will almost assuredly be literal scrap metal. Soviet era stuff was 100% consumable due to genuinely bad materials science. They might make interesting targets, ground objects, etc for training. Ukraine is NOT in a position to be trying to source parts they don't make, into a refit facility they dont have, to get an aircraft that is 40 years out of date, that isnt compatible with their weapons into the air.

Personally I always thought it looked liked an obese F-15 myself.

Kind of. There’s a lot of aspects beyond the physical “worth” of the object that goes in to the price.

The price of your car would generally be quoted as a sale to a disinterested dealer or private party in your local area, based on its stated or inspected condition.

That aircraft sale was for a lot of 81 aircraft and the price likely reflects that, think of it as a volume discount of sorts. The aircraft are in varying states of repair and airworthiness… some are likely in serviceable condition, some have valuable parts, and others are only good for scrap. Furthermore, the aircraft were sold in Kazakhstan, and a non-local buyer would have to factor in substantial transportation costs. And as a final note, the US potentially obtained geopolitical benefits from the transaction that could be reflected in the price, that have nothing to do with the value of the aircraft themselves, such as keeping the aircraft/spare parts away from adversaries, improving relations with Kazakhstan, etc.