su-30 the multi role russian fighter

8/18/2019 Su-30 the Multi Role Russian Fighter

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COLONEL RADIK Bariev, com-manding the Russian defence

ministry 929th State Flight TestCentre, is a seasoned militarytest pilot with more than 2,000flight test hours. He says withouthesitation that the thrust-vectoringSu-30MKI, which he flew duringits qualification testing in the early2000s, is the most memorable ofthe many types in his logbook.It boasts excellent aerodynamic

performance, combined with anadvanced fly-by-wire (FBW) flightcontrol system (FCS) and plenty ofthrust. Col Bariev asserts that theaircraft provides virtually unlimitedhandling capabilities thanks toits thrust-vectoring control (TVC)technology. Furthermore, the TVCFlanker has led pilots to rethinkhandling techniques in the post-stallregime and weapons employmentopportunities at speeds close to zero.Russian Air Force air combat

instructors with considerableexperience on the Su-27 tested

the then new Su-30MKI at theLipetsk combat training centre inthe early 2000s, enthusiasticallydeclaring it the fighter they needed.The TVC Flanker finally arrivedat Lipetsk, modified for Russianservice, in August 2013, when thefirst Su-30SMs were delivered forfield trials and instructor training.After his first familiarisation

ride, the centre’s outspoken andlong-time CO, Maj Gen AlexanderKharchevskiy, rapturouslydeclared: “I have always dreamedof something extraordinary, butthis Su-30SM sortie exceeded byfar my dreams and expectations.”Despite the presence of the

theoretically more advancedSu-35S, the Su-30MKI/MKA/MKM/SM series is widely

“I have always dreamed of somethingextraordinary, but this Su-30SM

sortie exceeded by far mydreams and expectations.”

considered as the premier Russianfighter. In contrast to theredesigned, single-seat Su-35S,which is plagued by teethingtroubles, the proven multi-roleSu-30MKI/MKA/MKM/SM wasdeclared combat-ready sometime ago. It is compatible with awide variety of air-to-surface andair-to-air weaponry and has been asubject to incremental upgrades.It is noteworthy that the Su-30MKI

for India, Su-30MKM for Malaysiaand Algeria’s Su-30MKA boastmore capable mission avionics thanthe Su-30SM built for the RussianAir and Space Force (RuASF) andRussian Naval Aviation (RNA),and for export to Kazakhstan. TheIndian, Malaysian and AlgerianFlankers employ high-tech optronictargeting pods which, combinedwith an 8-tonne warload, makesthem capable tactical bombers.They are also compatible

with advanced reconnaissancepods and can be employed in

the buddy-buddy air-refuellingrole. Moreover, a portion of theIndian Su-30MKI fleet is slatedfor imminent integration withthe Russo-Indian BhraMos-Aair-launched, conventionallytipped, Mach 2.5 cruise missile.

Su-30MKIDating back to November 1996,the Indian Su-30 deal involveddevelopment of a vastly improvedtwo-seat derivative of the baselineFlanker with true multi-role capabili-ties, new, fully digital avionics andgreatly enhanced low-speed agility.The Su-30MKI (K for Komercheskiy[Commercial] and I for India)emerged from an extremelyambitious specification calling for amulti-mode phased-array radar and

advancedavionicsincorporat-ing locallymanufactured,Israeli and Westerncomponents.Previously unseen

manoeuvrabilitywas bestowed on thevariant through anenhanced aerodynamic lay-out with canard foreplanes,a sophisticated FBW systemand two-dimensional (2D)TVC engines. The aircraftwas to be capable ofemploying a wide range ofprecision-guided air-to-surfaceweapons and active radar-homing(ARH) air-to-air missiles (AAMs),and capable of a ten-hour mission.The original US$1.8bn Su-30MKI

contract was signed betweenthe Indian defence ministry andRosvooruzhenie (the premier

state-owned Russian arms exportagency of the 1990s, which wasre-branded Rosoboronexport in2000) on November 30, 1996.Irkut was the primary Russian con-tractor for Su-30MKI design, devel-opment and test, while the SukhoiDesign Bureau, the type’s designauthority, was the main subcon-tractor with design responsibility.The 929th State Flight Test Centre

at Akhtubinsk performed Su-30MKIqualification testing, certifying thatthe aircraft’s airworthiness andoperational capabilities were com-pliant with the customer’s specifica-tion before deliveries commenced.The test and evaluation effortcontinued in Russia until 2006.The original contract called for

delivery of an initial batch of 40 air-

56 www.airforcesmonthly.comMAY 2016 #338

AIRCRAFT PROFILE Sukhoi Su-30 Flanker


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Russian

The Multi-Role

The vastly improved two-seat Sukhoi Su-30, with thrust-vectoring control and multi-role

capabilities, was first exported in the late 1990s, but Russia only ordered its first examples in

2012. Alexander Mladenov profiles the fighter, which is set to remain in production well into the 2020s.

thanks to full funding from India.Three pre-production aircraft

supported the wide-rangingdevelopment programme. Aircraftdesignated Su-30I-2, I-4 and I-5were involved in the prolongedtesting of new design features.Another, Su-30I-7, was addedlater to support the complexand slow-moving avionics test-ing and evaluation effort.The initial Su-30MKI prototype,

based on a series-productionSu-30 fuselage and poweredby AL-31FP TVC engines, madeits first flight on July 1, 1997, inthe hands of Sukhoi test pilotVyacheslav Averyanov. Its aero-dynamic configuration includedthe MKI’s all-moving canardsand the modified SDU-10MKFBW FCS was integrated with thethrust-vectoring engine nozzles.

TVC engineThe Su-30MKI’s AL-31FPafterburning turbofan uses a 2D

moving nozzle that can deflectthrough 15o up and down, withswelling axis canted 32o sideways.This smart design enables vertical

and lateral control forces throughthrust vectoring, as well as

differential deflectionof the widely

spaced noz-zles.

Above: The two contracts covering atotal of 60 Su-30SMs for the RuASF,

dating from 2012, are set for comple- tion this year. In addition, the RussianMoD says a contract should be signedshortly to acquire another 60 to 70aircraft for delivery between between2017 and 2019. Irkut

craft built at Irkut’s IAZ plant in thecity of Irkutsk, western Siberia. Thecontract also stipulated delivery ofeight ‘vanilla’ Su-30Ks as a stop-gap solution until mass Su-30MKIdeliveries could begin, since thedevelopment programme wasexpected to take at least five years.The Su-30Ks were delivered

in spring 1997. The model wasa slightly improved Su-27UBtwo-seater equipped withexport-standard avionics, astrengthened fuselage structure,improved flight control systemand inflight refuelling capability.To meet the plethora of challenges

associated with the extremelysophisticated Su-30MKI configura-tion, Irkut and Sukhoi were obligedto establish co-operation fromscratch with a number of industrialpartners in India and major third-party companies in the West. The

huge, expensive design anddevelopment effort was

completed within

a reasonabletimeframe

57www.airforcesdaily.com #338 MAY 2016


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The nozzles can be synchronisedwith the tailplanes or movedindependently. Differentialthrust control enables theTVC Flanker to manoeuvre atextremely low or even zeroairspeed, when its aerodynamiccontrol surfaces are ineffective.Sukhoi was solely responsible fordeveloping the new aerodynamicsand FBW system, and integrating

the new engines, but the avionicssuite arose through an internationalproject. It was badly held up, alleg-edly after the Indian Air Force (IAF)dragged its heels on approving thefinal configuration. This delayedthe entire Su-30MKI programme,leading to a production slipand causing the IAF to order anadditional batch of ten Su-30Ks,taken on strength in mid-1999.

Including French, Indian, Israeli,Russian and Ukrainian systems,the final avionics specificationwas not issued before 1998.Primary integrator was theRussian Ramenskoye InstrumentDesign Bureau (better knownunder its Russian-languageabbreviation RPKB). Based ona quadruple-channel Mil Std1553B avionics data bus, the

RPKB-integrated suite incorpo-rated several new-generationRussian systems, includingthe Tikhomirov NIIP N011MBars radar and UOMZ OLS-30Ioptronic targeting system. TheUkrainian Arsenal Sura-K pilot’shelmet-mounted cueing system(HMCS) was also installed.The Indians contributed the

mission computer, based onthe DRDO digital processingunit, VHF/UHF radios, IFF,navigation aids and Tarangradar-warning receiver (RWR).France provided a Sagem

cockpit display system withthree MFD55 5 × 5in (127 ×127mm) multi-function liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) in eachcockpit, plus an MFD66 6 × 6in(152 × 152mm) LCD displayin the rear cockpit. Sagemalso supplied the Sigma 95inertial navigation system/globalpositioning system (INS/GPS).



Right: An early-production Su- 30SM takes off with engines in fullafterburner. The jet belongs to theRuAF’s Lipetsk training centre andis operated by the Flanker-equippedsquadron of the 968th Instructor-Re-

search Composite Aviation Regiment. Andrey Zinchuk via Alexander Mladenov

Above: An Su-30MKI newly assembled by HAL Nasik taxies out for a functional check flight in May 2007. Alan WarnesBelow: The Royal Malaysian Air Force Su-30MKMs are the most capable among all the two-seat TVC Flanker derivatives, com- ing equipped with an integrated self-protection suite and boasting the Thales Damocles targeting pod. Alan Warnes

An Indian Air Force Su-30MKI fromthe 11th Wing at Tezpur AFS fliesin formation with a RAF Typhoonduring Exercise Indradhanush heldat RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, inJuly 2015. MOD Crown Copyright


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Israeli systems included the ElbitSU967 head-up display (HUD),Elta EL/M-8222 active jammingsystem and Rafael Litening IIItargeting pod. Two types ofIsraeli reconnaissance pod werealso delivered, the Elbit SystemsCondor 2 long-range oblique pho-tography (LOROP) system and IAI/ELTA ELM-2060 synthetic apertureradar (SAR) and ground movingtarget indicator (GMTI) system.

Weapons controlThe Su-30MKI’s weapons controlsystem is based on the N011MBars, equipped with a 1,000mm(39.37in) diameter passive elec-tronically-scanned array (PESA),mechanically steered in azimuthand elevation. This way the radarbeam can be steered up to 70o tothe left and right (azimuth) and40o up and down (elevation).The PESA radar installed in theSu-30MKI/MKA/MKM includes

Su-30SM SpecificationWing span: 48ft 3in (14.70m)

Length overall: 71ft 11in (21.94m)

Height: 20ft 10in (6.36m)Wing area: 667sq ft (62m2)

Normal take-off weight: 56,658lb (25,700kg)

Maximum take-off weight: 74,956lb (34,000kg)

Maximum weapon load: 17,637lb (8,000kg)

Normal internal fuel load: 11,615lb (5,270kg)

Maximum internal fuel load: 21,247lb (9,640kg)

Maximum speed at sea level: 728kts (1,350km/h)

Maximum speed at high altitude: 1,144kts (2,120km/h)

Maximum operating speed: Mach 2.0

Practical ceiling: 56,744ft (17,300m)

Ferry range at high altitude: 1,618nm (3,000km)

Ferry range at low altitude: 685nm (1,270km)

Ferry range with one air refuelling: 2,805nm (5,200km)

Take-off run: 1,804ft (500m)Landing run: 2,460ft (750m)

g limit: +9

Powerplant: two Saturn AL-31FP TVC turbofans each rated at 16,940lb(75.5kN) thrust dry and 27,500lb (122.6kN) thrust with full afterburner

Indian RC1 and RC2 digital proces-sors, which work simultaneouslyin the air-to-air and air-to-surfacemodes. Radar development wasprotracted and the definitive con-figuration, with operating modesas per the IAF specification, washanded not delivered before 2012.Data released by Tikhomirov

credits the N011M with a head-ondetection range of 140km (76nm)

against small fighters; Bars isalso advertised as capable ofsimultaneously tracking no fewerthan 15 airborne targets andsupporting the simultaneousengagement of four of these withRVV-AE (R-77) beyond visualrange (BVR) ARH missiles.The radar’s air-to-surface modes

enable detection and tracking offixed and moving targets; it can

also provide ground mapping withlow, medium and high resolution,and facilitate terrain-followingflight in automatic mode. Barsis advertised as capable ofdetecting a group of tanks at45 to 50km (24 to 27nm) witha resolution of 20m (66ft). Asmall-to-medium size surfacetarget can be seen from 120 to170km (65 to 91nm) and a large

Su-30MKIweaponryORDNANCE LOADS clearedfor the Su-30MKI include up

to ten Vympel RVV-AE ARH

BVR missiles or as many

as six R-27ER1 semi-active

radar homing BVR missiles,

two R-27TE1 IR-homing BVR

missiles and up to six R-73E

WVR IR-guided missiles.

Air-to-ground weaponry

includes Kh-29TE and Kh-59ME

TV-guided missiles, the Kh-31A

ARH anti-ship missile, and

KAB-500Kr and KAB-1500Kr

TV-guided bombs. The Litening

III targeting pod enables the

employment of laser-guidedbombs and missiles of Russian

and Israeli origin.

The heaviest warload yet flown

included 32 OFAB-250-270

fragmentation/high-explosive

free-fall bombs on multiple

ejector racks, for a total of

17,632lb (8,000kg).

A GSh-301 30mm single-

barrel cannon is built into the

starboard side of the forward

fuselage, with the muzzle

protruding alongside the rear

cockpit.

The gun is provided with 150

rounds, sufficient for five to sixseconds of continuous firing of

highly destructive 13oz (390g)

projectiles at a rate of fire of 25-

30 rounds per second.


Below: An Su-30SM from the 120thSAP, home-based at Domna in Siberia,in flight during the Russian campaignin Syria. It is armed with four R-27and two R-73 air-to-air missiles, atypical configuration for air-to-aircombat air patrols during militaryintervention. Russian MOD


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bridge or ship at 400km (216nm).Installed ahead of the windscreen

and offset to starboard, the OLS-30optronic locator and targeting sys-tem integrates an infrared searchand track (IRST) sensor and laser

rangefinder. It is quoted as beingcapable of tracking aerial targetsat high altitude at up to 90km(49nm) tail-on and 50km (27nm)head-on, and scans through 60o in azimuth, and 150 down and60o in elevation. The system hastwo fields of view – wide (20o× 5o)and narrow (3o× 3o), the latter forprecise targeting in BVR and withinvisual range (WVR) air-to-air com-bat. The laser rangefinder is usefulat up to 3km (1.6nm) against airtargets and up to 5km (2.7nm) forranging against ground targets.

The Su-30MKI’s self-protectionsuite incorporates the DRDOTarang Mk II RWR, IAI Elta El/M-8222 active jammer and RussianAPP-50R/A chaff/flare dispenserscontaining a total of 96 rounds.The aircraft’s British equipment

is restricted to the Cobham754 buddy-refuelling podcarried under the fuselage.

Development progressThe Su-30MKI prototype, Su-30I-1,was lost on June 12, 1999, duringa display on the first day of thatyear’s Paris air show. Pilot errorduring Vyacheslav Averyanov’s

spectacular demonstrationof the type’s manoeuvrabil-ity caused the accident; he andnavigator Vladimir Schedrikejected safely after the aircrafthit the ground and bouncedback into the air with flamespouring from its rear fuselage.The second prototype, converted

from the Su-30PU prototype, tookto the air for the first time in itsnew guise on March 23, 1998.The initial pre-production

example, dubbed Su-30I-2, flewfor the first time on August 5,2000, equipped with the definitive

avionics suite from the outset.It was initially used for inflightairframe stress evaluation and wasthen involved in mission avionicsand weapons test, tasks completedin late 2004. These trials, whichconfirmed flight and overallcombat performance, includedseveral firing campaigns for theRVV-AE and R-27R1 radar-guidedBVR missiles against La-17 andDan target drones, Kh-31A missilesagainst sea targets and even aKh-59ME long-range missile,launched against a ground target.The first production Su-30MKI

assembled at IAZ for delivery tothe IAF flew at Irkutsk in December2001. The first production batch often aircraft was delivered to the IAFin July and August 2002. The IAFreported that it had fielded theseaircraft on September 27 thatyear, reflecting a 28-month delaycompared to the original schedule.The fighters had entered servicewith No. 24 Squadron at Pune, butfeatured only the interim N011MMk 1 radar with limited operationalcapabilities and supporting onlyR-27R1 and R-73 AAMs.The second batch of 12 aircraft

was equipped with the improvedN011M Mk 2 radar and capableof firing RVV-AE, Kh-31A andKh-59ME missiles; it was deliveredbetween October and December2003, followed by the third batchof ten jets in December 2004.Equipped with the definitiveN011M Mk 3 radar and with anIndian computer replacing theRussian S101, these Su-30MKIswere compatible with theLitening III targeting pod. After2006, the 22 Su-30MKIs from

the first and second productionbatches were modified to Batch

Above: Algerian Air Force Su-30MKA KF-24/4105 with its retractable refuelling probe extended prior to topping up its

tanks from an Il-78. Algeria was not happy when it realised their initial batch of 28 Su-30MKAs between December 2007and September 2009 had an Israeli HUD. A further 16 were ordered, deliveries of which are believed to also now havebeen completed but its unclear if it persevered with the Elbit Systems SU967.



Above: The RuASF and RNA Su-30SMs built before the end of 2015 retain their French avionics, mainly represented by theThales CTH3022 wide-angle holographic HUD and the Sagem Sigma 95 navigation system. The Russian MOD has since

initiated a programme to replace all French systems with their Russian-made equivalents. Alexander Mladenov


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IAF upgradeplansA MID-LIFE upgrade has been

conceived for existing Su-30MKIsfollowing initial negotiations

between the Russians and

Indians during June 2015,

although no contract has yet

been signed. It could include

integration of a variety of new

Indian hardware, including an

integrated defensive aids suite

with missile approach warning

receivers and Tarang Mk III RWR,

a new communications suite, data

link, wing tip-mounted jammer

and a newly added management

computer. New cockpit displays,

radar altimeter and navigation

aids are also envisaged, along

with faster computers capable

of handling mission-critical and

combat processing tasks.

Newly integrated weapons

would include the export version

of the RVV-MD and RVV-SD

AAMs, developed as successors

to the R-73E and RVV-AE,

respectively.

Tikhomirov has proposed an

N011M Bars upgrade that could

be conducted in two stages for a

phased increase in performance

and functionality. Stage I

would retain the PESA unit but

incorporate new software and

increased processing capability;

Stage II would add an active

electronically scanned array

(AESA), boosting operational

performance and reliability.

An ongoing programme is

enabling compatibility with the

BhraMos-A cruise missile, which

weighs 5,600lb (2,500kg) and

has a range of up to 162nm

(300km) when launched from

high altitude. The Su-30MKI can

carry up to three of the weapons

and the IAF intendeds to procure

200 missiles for US$1.1bn. In

addition to BhraMos-A, the Su-

30MKI could be made capableof employing the air-launched

version of the Indian Nirbhay

subsonic cruise missile, using

the launch pylons developed for

BhraMos-A.

Two Su-30MKIs earmarked for

BhraMos-A test launches were

sent to Russia in January 2009

for the associated avionics and

structural upgrades. In May

2010, a programme to modify

40 Su-30MKIs for BhraMos-A

was agreed. It includes a new

mission computer, upgraded

radar and other avionics

changes. A significant delayoccurred, however, and the two

test aircraft did not begin flight

trials in India until after March

2015.

3 standard. In 2007, 18 furtheraircraft were taken on strength.

In total, the IAF received 50Su-30MKIs fully assembledand tested at IAZ, 32 of themordered within the initial contract,plus 18 more assembled at IAZand acquired in in exchangefor the return to Russia of the18 stopgap Su-30Ks in 2007.Another contract had called forlocal production at HAL Nasik of140 Su-30MKIs and a subsequentcontract in 2007 added 40 more.The primary contract for Indian

Su-30MKI production inkedon December 28, 2000, sawdivision of the local productionprocess into four stages. At StageI, HAL Nasik performed detailassembly and functional checkson Su-30MKIs built at IAZ, whileStage II included final assemblyfrom knocked-down kits. Thefirst Stage I aircraft was rolledout in autumn 2004 and madeits maiden flight on October 1.Stage III called for a gradual

increase in the locally producedcomponents, while Stage IVintroduced local productionusing Indian-manufacturedparts and systems (with Russian-

supplied materials, blanks andsub-systems), including radars

and engines. The last set ofRussian materials, blanks and

sub-systems was delivered in2015. The initial Su-30MKIproduced with Indian componentsunder Stage IV was flown for thefirst time in November 2011. Bythen HAL Nasik had delivered 99Su-30MKIs under Stages I to III.A contract covering 42 addi-

tional Su-30MKIs was agreedin December 2012. Valued atUS$1.6bn, it brought IAF TVCFlanker orders to 272 aircraft,sufficient to equip 14 squadrons.By January 2015, some 150of the HAL Nasik-aircraft hadbeen handed over to the IAF,although by late-2015 attritionhad accounted for six machines.In early 2015, the 200-strongIAF Su-30MKI fleet had an avail-ability rate of 55%, enabling 110mission-ready aircraft at any time.

New customersThe baseline Su-30MKI becamethe starting point for threehighly customised configurationsfeaturing the same basic airframe,powerplant and FBW system.The Royal Malaysian Air Force(RMAF) ordered the Su-30MKM

(M for Malaysia). Valued atUS$900m, the 18-aircraft contract

was signed in August 2003.French avionics replaced the

majority of Israeli and Indianitems in the Su-30MKI, creatinga more advanced configurationfeaturing the Thales CTH3022wide-angle holographic HUD,Thales IFF and compatibility withthe Thales Damocles targetingpod and NAVFLIR night-time,low-level navigation pod. Themission computers and electronicwarfare system are Russian.The Su-30MKM also introduced

an enhanced integrated defensiveaids suite comprising SaabAvitronics MAW300 ultraviolet mis-sile warning sensors and LWS350laser warning sensors in additionto the RWS-50 RWR. Compatibilitywith the Cobham 754 buddy-refuelling pod is retained.The initial Su-30MKM prototype

flew in May 2006, while the firstproduction example flew for thefirst time at Irkutsk in spring 2007;customer acceptance trials werecompleted in May, 2007. The air-craft were delivered between June2007 and August 2009, equippingNo. 11 Squadron at Gong Kedak.The next TVC Flanker was

the Su-30MKA (A for Algeria),

designated Su-30MKI(A) inRussia. Again based on the

Above: In August 2013 the Su-30SM entered service with the Lipetsk-based combat training centre and was used to teachthe initial cadre of instructor pilots and develop new combat tactics. Alexander Mladenov Left: The Kazakhstan Air Defense Force became the first Su-30SM export customer, taking delivery of an initial batch offour advanced Flankers in April 2015. Irkut


The TVC Flanker has led pilots torethink the manoeuvring capabilitiesof the post-stall regimes of flightas well as the handling techniquesat low speeds. The weapons firingopportunities at speeds close tozero offer significant advantages in

close air combat. Andrey Zinchuk via Alexander Mladenov


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Su-30MKI, the MKA replacessome Israeli avionics with systemslargely sourced from Russia andFrance, exceptions including theElbit SU967 HUD. The French-supplied equipment representedabout 10% of the aircraft’s price,including the state-of-the-artThales Damocles targeting podand Areos reconnaissance pod.Algeria ordered 28 Su-30MKAs

in 2006, in a contract worthUS$1.5bn, and deliveries werereported between December2007 and 2009. Two of theseaircraft, locally designationSu-30MKA/MKR, are capableof employing the Areos pod.A US$0.9bn follow-on order

in 2010 included 16 moreSu-30MKAs, with deliveriesin 2011 and 2012. A thirdorder was placed in April 2015,

covering another 16 aircraft inthe same configuration. Valuedat around US$1bn, it should seedeliveries in 2016 and 2017.

Russian Su-30SMIn March 2012 the Russiandefence ministry ordered theSu-30SM, which is set to becomethe mainstay of the RuASF andRNA tactical jet fleets. Sixty aircraftwere bought for the RuASF undertwo separate contracts datedMarch and December 2012, while60 more are set to be ordered inmid-2016, for delivery throughto 2019. The Su-30SM willreplace the entire first-generationfrontline MiG-29 fleet as well as aproportion of the Su-27s underan ambitious RuASF FrontalAviation fleet recapitalisation andcapability/growth programme.

The defence ministry placed itsinitial order for the RNA in 2013,with the first three aircraft taken onstrength in mid-2014. The Navywill procure 50 to 57 Su-30SMs inthe long term, replacing its entirefleet of tired Su-24 and Su-24Mtactical bombers, Su-24MRreconnaissance aircraft, and Su-27and MiG-31 fighter-interceptors.The Su-30SM is a derivative of

the Su-30MKI/MKM with Russianavionics replacing Indian andIsraeli systems, including the radarprocessors, communicationssuite, IFF and ejection seats. Asubstantial modification hasalso been made to the weaponscompatibility, while it employs amodified OEPrNK- 30SMoptronic locatorand targetingsystem. The

Su-30SM is capable of firing thenew RVV-SD BVR missile, with amaximum range at high altitudein a head-on engagement of110km (60nm), and the highlyagile RVV-MD WVR AAM, a vastlyimproved R-73 derivative.The Bars-R radar equipping

the Su-30SM has enhancedperformance compared with theradars of the export derivatives.In its initial form, however, theSu-30SM retained most if notall of the French avionics usedon the Su-30MKM, includingthe CTH3022 HUD and Sigma95 navigation system. TheSu-30SM test programme wascompleted in December 2013.In its second sub-version, intro-

duced in 2015, the Su-30SM wasstripped of its Frenchcontent after sanctionsimposed on Russiaduring the Ukrainiancrisis of 2014



Right: One of the late-productionSu-30SMs for the 120th SAP betweensorties at its home base Domna insouth-eastern Siberia – note the air-to-

air ordinance including R-27 andR-73 missiles. Irkut

Above: The Su-30SM was used during the Russian air campaign in Syria with four aircraft from the 120th SAP deployed toLatakia air base in late September 2015. In addition to combat air patrols, they flew several bombing sorties, delivering250kg free-fall bombs from medium altitude on pre-planned fixed targets. Russian MOD


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The IranianOptionTHE IRANIAN defence ministry

first revealed its intension to pro-

cure the Sukhoi Su-30 Flanker inDecember 2014 and negotiations

with Russia began the following

month.

On August 25, 2015, an Iranian

delegation visited the MAKS

air show for the first time. The

group, comprising defence and

government representatives,

including Vice President Sorena

Sattari, and Dr Manuchehr Man-

teghi (CEO of Iran Aviation Indus-

tries Organization), met Russia’s

President Putin to discuss the

plan to order Su-30SMs and

establish a licensed manufactur-

ing capability in Iran.The Russians proposed the

Su-30SME specifically for export

to Iran. It includes all the same

systems found on the Su-30SM,

but has less capable self-defence

equipment. The Islamic Republic

of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) has an

urgent need for an initial 48

aircraft for delivery from 2018

so it can withdraw the 49 F-4D/E

Phantom IIs remaining in service.

There is an option for the Iranian

Aircraft Manufacturing Industries

(IAMI) to assemble another 112

examples under licence by 2030.

The Iranian Minister of DefenceBrigadier General Hossein

Dehghan led a delegation to

Moscow for offi cial negot iations

with Putin and the Russian

defence minister Sergei Shoigu

on February 16, 2016. Talks

continued when the Russian min-

ister visited Tehran the following

week. Although the mission was

primarily to work through deliv-

ery issues with a S-300PMU-2

surface-to-air missile system,

Iranian offi cials also emphasised

the requirement for licensed Su-

30SME production.

The ideal would be for IAMI tobuild 70% of every Su-30SME

produced in-country, avoiding

the issues with technical and

maintenance support that the

IRIAF suffered with its MiG-29

and Su-24 fleets in the 1990s

and 2000s.

United Nations arms sanctions

against Iran are scheduled to be

lifted in 2021. However, both

parties have announced that

the first Su-30 contract will be

signed this summer. Should the

US foil such plans, however, the

IRIAF has identified a secondary

option. Negotiat ions for a J-10Spurchase from China began in

2015 and the type’s acquisition

remains a possibility. Babak

Taghvaee

effectively resulted in an embargoon the sale of defence equipmentto the country. The IKSh-1M fromthe Su-35S replaced the CTH3022HUD, for example, while the BINS-SP2 hybrid inertial/satellite naviga-tion system replaced Sigma 95.The Khibiny-U electronic warfare(EW) system was also added, withan active radar jammer housedin wing tip pods; it was seen forthe first time in October 2015 onSu-30SMs operating in Syria.The first two Su-30SMs assem-

bled at IAZ were flown duringSeptember 2012 and delivered tothe RuASF in December for a brieftest and evaluation programmeat the Akhtubinsk flight testcentre. In 2013, 14 Su-30SMswere taken on strength and thetype inducted into service with theLipetsk-based combat trainingcentre, for initial instructor pilottraining and the developmentof new combat tactics.

The first frontline unit, asquadron of the Domna-based120th Smeshanniy AviatsionniyPolk (SAP - composite aviationregiment), re-equipped with thenew type in 2013, while a secondsquadron of the same regimentfollowed in 2014. Its fleet includes24 aircraft, four of which deployedto Syria in September 2015. Theymainly flew escort missions armedwith R-27R/T and R-73 AAMs,but occasionally mounted attacksorties armed with two OFAB-250-270 free-fall bombs each.In 2015, the 31st Guards IAP at

Millerovo began converting to theSu-30SM with an initial five aircraftand the remainder expected laterthis year; it will receive 24 aircraftfor two squadrons. Also in 2015,four Su-30SMs were delivered tothe 23rd Guards IAP at Dzemgiin Russia’s Far East. The unit isequipped with the single-seat TVCSu-35S and uses the two-seat

Su-30SM for pilot conversionand continuation training, aswell as proficiency check rides.The first RNA Su-30SM unit, the

43rd Otdelniy Morskoi ShturmovoiAviatsionniy Polk (OMShAP -independent attack naval aviationregiment) based at Saki on theCrimean Peninsula, took three jetsin 2014 and five more in 2015,with another four expected thisyear to complete its full strength of12 aircraft. They are primarily foruse in the maritime attack role.In May 2015, the Kazakhstan Air

and Air Defence Force becamethe first international Su-30SMoperator, taking an initial batchof four aircraft; a follow-on orderfor six or seven more was placedin December. In the long-termKazakhstan intends to purchase 24.Belarus is the next ex-Soviet stateexpected to purchase the Su-30SM,but not until after 2020 dueto ongoing funding issues.


afm

An Su-30SM from the 120th SAP deployed to Latakia air base escorts a Tu-160Blackjack strategic bomber into Syrian airspace. Russian MoD

Above: The TVC family of Su-30s use the N011M Bars multi-role radar with the1,000mm passive electronically-scanned array antenna, it boasts expanded cover- age thanks to the extra mechanical steering in azimuth and elevation. Irkut

su-30 the multi role russian fighter

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