The launch customer was the Indian Air Force, which ordered the aircraft partly due to good relations between then USSR leader Leonid Brezhnev and then India leader Indira Gandhi.
De Start Client war d'Indian Air Force, déi dëst Flugzeug deelweis wéinst guddem Relatiounen tëscht dem deemoleiSir Leader Leonid Brezhnev an dann Indien Leader Indira Gandhi bestellt huet.