Su-30 (Su-27P)
The Su-30 (Su-27P) is a dual-seat full-system Su-27 interceptor with refueling probe, provisions for external fuel tanks, beefed up structure, improved ECM, and a slightly modified comm/oxygen interface block with the RD-36 ejection seat. The laser-optical locator system is advertised to include a day and night FLIR capability and is used in conjunction with the Helmet mounted sighting system. The onboard countermeasures suite includes an illumination warning system, an active jamming station, and passive dispensers for chaff and flares.
The development of the two-seat Su-30 interceptor fighter began at the Sukhoi Design Bureau in the late 1980s. The Su-27UB combat training aircraft was chosen as the base machine for modernization. It had a two-seat cockpit, a significant fuel system capacity, and ten points for hanging weapons. To further increase the flight range of the future fighter, the designers decided to equip it with an in-flight refueling system. Externally, the new aircraft differed little from the basic Su-27UB, it had practically the same technical characteristics, excellent reliability and good controllability. The new machine received the designation Su-30, in 1991 its serial production began in Irkutsk. However, the collapse of the Soviet Union followed, which became a disaster for all enterprises of the military-industrial complex. Due to the almost complete halt in the purchase of new equipment by the Russian Ministry of Defense, the management of the Sukhoi Design Bureau began searching for foreign customers for its products. In the shortest possible time, the Su-30MK was created - a multi-purpose two-seater aircraft, the first flight of which took place in 1993. The range of weapons of the machine was significantly expanded, its takeoff weight increased from 30 to 38.8 tons, the combat load doubled, the service life of the power plant and airframe increased significantly. The general director of the Irkutsk aircraft plant, Alexander Veprev, said that in the 1990s the situation at the enterprise was very difficult: the workload was falling, the state order was practically minimal, and it was mainly limited to the supply of components to support operation. There were only one-time orders under export contracts, and as a result - the plant was operating at a reduced capacity, with a shortened schedule. The first representative of the Su-30 family was the Su-30MKI fighter. This aircraft, built to order for India, brought more money to the country's budget in the difficult 1990s than all other export weapons combined. The general director of the Irkutsk aircraft plant, Alexander Veprev, said that in the 1990s the situation at the enterprise was very difficult: the workload was falling, the state order was practically minimal, and it was mainly limited to the supply of components to support operation. There were only one-time orders under export contracts, and as a result - the plant was operating at a reduced capacity, with a shortened schedule. The baseline PVO Su-30 was a beefed up dual-seat Su-27UB trainer which then was designated the Su-27PU after modifications to accommodate an actual mission-qualified pilot were put in the back-seat for extended range PVO missions. Largely based on the Su-27UB two-seat trainer, the Su-30 has a new radiolocation system which can transmit the positions of 10 targets to four other fighters at the same time.
A modified and beefed-up dual-seat Su-27PU was tested on long range flights, one of which went from Moscow to Komsomolsk in 15 hours and 31 minutes with air refueling. This evidently became the Su-30. Sukhoi proposed the Su-30 to the Russian Air Force as a dual-seat "command post fighter" that would designate targets for accompanying aircraft, a clear add-on or replacement for the MiG-31 Foxhound fleet that was having serious maintainability problems.
The Su-30 two-seat long-range intercept fighter first flew in December 1989, and that entered service with the Russian air forces in 1992. The Su-30 was reported as early as January 1993 as being "in service" with the Russian Air Force and in series production at the Irkutsk Factory. The tandem seat Su-30 was first seen at Farnborough in 1996. The Su-30 is made in Irkutsk. In the early 1990's, the Su-30 supposedly found itself in competition with the Su-27IB side-by-side configured Flanker prototype, but there may have been a bit of misinformation in these claims.
The so-called Su-30 series of aircraft began with the Su-27M - in effect a concept demonstrator renamed the Su-35 - the Flanker has evolved into the Su-30 multirole fighter, the Su-32/34 tactical bomber, and the Su-33 naval variant. The leading visual difference between the Su-30K and the Su-30MK were canards just below & slightly behind the rear cockpit, TVC nozzles and a twin wheel nose landing gear. The Russian domestic PVO variant is related to the multi-role or "MKI" export variants being sold around the world.
Su-30 is capable of performing all tactical tasks of the Su-24 "Fencer" deep interdiction tactical bomber and the Su-27 "Flanker A/B/C" air superiority fighter while having around twice the combat range and 2.5 times the combat effectiveness (Sukhoi numbers).
The Su-30 compares favorably with Su-27UB in respect to the distribution of functions between the crewmen. The main difference is that the workstations in the Su-30 were more similar to each other which clearly distinguishes this fighter from conventional two-seat trainers. Now the rear-seat pilot/operator is able to quickly input the coordinates of the new navigation points into the navigation system and airborne weapons system that is used to intercept targets in a long-range rocket engagement.
On the 8 September 2006 at 15.42 pm Moscow time, a fighter jet Su-30 piloted by the crew of the Hero of Russia, a distinguished test pilot of the USSR Anatoliy Kvochur, landed on the airfield Ramenskoe (Zhukovskiy). The plane took off from Ramenskoe at night - 2.35 am, reached the isle of Chkalov in the Far East and made it back. The flight was performed in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the legendary flight by Valery Chkalov of 1936 within the framework of the project "Still higher, and higher, and higher" by the Exposition holding MVK.
Su-30SM
The Su-30SM is sometimes called a "Russified" version of the popular export Su-30MKI. The aircraft was equipped with AL-31FP engines with controlled thrust vectoring. The Su-30SM (SM standing for serial-produced, modified) multipurpose fighter jet is designed both to gain air supremacy and attack ground and surface targets. The fighter jet has canards and engines with a controlled thrust vector, which makes the aircraft supermaneuverable. The Su-30SM fighter jet is equipped with the Bars multipurpose control radar.The Su-30SM is a two-seat multirole heavy fighter developed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau. The fighter made its maiden flight in 2012. The Su-30SM is designed to both gain air superiority and strike ground and surface targets. The aircraft design uses forward horizontal tail and engines with controlled thrust vector. Due to this, it has super-maneuverability. The Su-30SM is equipped with a multifunctional radar. Controls with a passive phased antenna array. The fighter's ammunition includes a wide range of weapons, including air-to-air missiles and high-precision guided air-to-surface weapons. The Su-30SM can be used as an aircraft for training pilots for promising single-seat fighters.
The fighter jet’s ammunition load comprises a wide range of munitions, including air-to-air missiles and air-to-surface precision guided weapons. The Su-30SM fighter jet can be used to train pilots for future single-seat fighter jets. The Su-30SM fighter jet has been manufactured for the Russian Air Force since 2012.
The Su-30SM, a localized version of the Su-30MKI fighter exported to India, will serve as a second security blanket for the Russian Air Force. The Defense Ministry commissioned 30 such aircraft. First Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Sukhorukov told the press in August 2012 that an additional contract for the supply of these all-purpose fighters was very likely.
The Su-30SM is the latest modification of the Su-30 multi-role heavy fighter of the "4+" generation. It has super maneuverability, engines with controlled thrust vectoring and a canard. Export versions of the Su-30 were in great demand abroad. Thus, 200 Su-30MKI aircraft were delivered to India alone. Deliveries of Su-30 modifications to Russian aviation have been underway since 2010. The Su-30SM can carry a wide range of air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles and bombs on 12 hardpoints. It is equipped with a phased array radar, which allows it to simultaneously track 15 or more air targets, select priority ones and attack four of them. The target detection range reaches 140 km. Among the advantages of the Su-30SM is the ability to cover a distance of up to 3 thousand km without refueling or external tanks.
The X-31 family of anti-ship and anti-radar missiles (NATO classification: AS-17 Krypton) was created by the Tactical Missiles Corporation. Krypton became the world's first serial missile equipped with a combined jet engine. Its capabilities allow the missile to implement a low-altitude flight mode (3-5 meters) and at the same time maintain a speed of Mach 2 (more than 2,300 km/h). Due to this, in combination with high maneuverability, the survivability of missiles when overcoming object air defense and the effective destruction of the selected target, despite the counteraction of enemy electronic warfare systems, is increased.
Today, there were four versions of high-speed air-to-air guided missiles of the Kh-31 type: anti-radar Kh-31P and Kh-31PD, anti-ship Kh-31A and Kh-31AD. Thus, the latest modification of the Kh-31PD is designed to destroy radar stations of anti-aircraft missile systems and complexes. The missile launch range is up to 250 km, the weight of the warhead is up to 110 kg. It is equipped with a combined guidance system, and due to the increased launch range, the capabilities of delivering a preemptive strike were increased.
In April 2016 the Defense Ministry and the manufacturer inked a contract on the delivery of more than 30 multipurpose Su-30SM jets to the Russian Aerospace Forces. The aircraft is capable of air-to-air and air-to-ground missions with a wide variety of precision-guided munitions, and features thrust-vectoring engines to enhance maneuverability. The Russian Armed forces were undergoing a massive rearmament program and the Su-30SM is going to gradually replace its predecessor the Su-27.
Air-Space Forces (VKS) Russia in 2017 will receive 17 new multi-role Su-30SM and 10 combat training aircraft Yak-130, according to Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov. "With the plant signed long-term contracts, according to which in the current year it should pass us 17 Su-30SM and 10 Yak-130", - he said 09 March 2017 when visiting the Irkutsk aviation plant (IAP), which produces these aircraft. He recalled that the IAP is one of the executors of the state defense order, and supplies for videoconferencing aircraft tactical aviation - Su-30SM and combat training of the Yak-130. The Su-30SM is the last modified Russian multipurpose heavy fighter Su-30 generation "4+". It has a super-maneuverability, equipped with radar with a phased antenna array, engines with thrust vector control and canards. The aircraft is capable of applying modern and future precision weapons "air-to-air" and "air-to-surface". Su-30SM can without refueling and to overcome the external fuel tanks up to 3 thousand Km.
The electronic filling of the Su-30SM is built on the concept of "open architecture of the board". This allows new domestic and foreign systems to be easily included in the avionics. This is what determines the high versatility of the Su-30SM, allowing the fighter-interceptor to be converted into a strike aircraft in the shortest possible time. The combat load of the Su-30SM fighter is 8,000 kg. The aircraft has twelve hardpoints, which can accommodate a wide range of missile and bomb armament. These can be six guided missiles for air combat at medium or short distances, unguided aerial bombs weighing 500 or 250 kg, containers with unguided aviation missiles. In addition, the aircraft is armed by default with a 30-mm GSh-30-1 cannon.
The Su-30SM fighter is equipped with two AL-31FP bypass engines with variable thrust vectoring. They were positioned at an angle of 32 degrees to each other. Their nozzles can be deflected in the vertical plane by ±16° and up to ±15° in any direction. This allows their thrust vector to be directed. The nozzles can be deflected both together with the aircraft's control surfaces and separately from them. One of the main advantages of the Su-30SM is its super-maneuverability: its flight is provided by a fly-by-wire control system that controls the rudders and rotating engine nozzles. The aircraft's high degree of maneuverability is achieved by the front horizontal tail and engines with controlled thrust vectoring.
However, the main highlight of the Su-30SM is its cockpit. The aircraft is equipped with an onboard electronic station with a phased array, which allows it to detect and track up to fifteen air targets and attack four of them simultaneously. The Su-30SM uses a helmet-mounted target designation system, as well as a head-up display. In addition, the pilots' cockpits were equipped with multifunctional liquid crystal displays. All this provides pilots with the highest level of awareness of the air situation.
In the course of modernization, the Su-30SM fighter will be unified with the newest Su-35 combat aircraft. This will expand the combat capabilities of the fighter and reduce the cost of its production. "After completion of the modernization of the Su-30SM aircraft will be unified with the Su-35 on-board equipment and weapons. This will give the aircraft a “second life” and reduce the cost of its production, ” Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov said 27 February 2019 at the aircraft plant in Irkutsk, which produces Su-30. The deep modernization of the Su-30SM will open up new prospects for Russia in India, the vice-premier said. The Indian Air Force has a fleet of 200 Su-30MKI, which became the basis for the Russian Su-30SM.
The modernization of the Su-30SM includes the replacement of engines on the AL-41F-1C that meet the requirements of the fifth generation, the installation of a new Irbis radar with enhanced capabilities for detecting and tracking targets, integration of onboard electronics and digital information management system, and other improvements. Tests of the upgraded fighter jets were scheduled for completion by the end of 2019.
Among pilots, the Su-30SM is considered one of the best aircraft. A second person in the cockpit significantly increases the crew's capabilities. For example, the peculiarity of working on drones is often a lack of time. In the case of the "thirty", the pilot does not have to simultaneously pilot and control weapons. There is a navigator who unloads him, so everything can be done quickly, at short ranges and quite successfully.
According to the recollections of the honored test pilot Sergei Mikhailyuk, who participated in the testing of the first export "thirties", in joint Indian-American exercises the Su-30MKI won all battles over US equipment. But these were training battles, and it is quite possible that soon in the skies of the SVO our crews will meet American F-16s in real battles. And they were already preparing for the meeting to test both the planes and their knowledge and skills. According to the commander of the special fighter group, the "thirty" surpasses the F-16 in all respects: in maneuverability, in armament, and in the targeting system.
The combat capabilities of the Su-30SM were tested most extensively during the military operation of the Russian Armed Forces in Syria. There, in addition to other qualities of the fighter, the two-man crew also proved useful. In the complex and rapidly changing situation of the counter-terrorist operation, when there were only a few meters between friendly troops and the enemy, the pilot and navigator could distribute combat tasks between themselves. "The aviation complex allows you to simultaneously perform a task on the ground and in the air. There is a "separate" mode, where the pilot can perform airborne targeting, conduct airspace surveillance, and at the same time the navigator can perform tasks to strike the ground," emphasizes one of the pilots who flew the Su-30SM in the skies over Syria.
The Su-30SM is a fourth-generation fighter, and its design does not use stealth technology. However, the aircraft is equipped with the Sorbtsiya and Khibiny electronic warfare systems, which were not only capable of suppressing the relatively low-power radar of fighters, but also neutralizing ground-based radar systems, which largely compensates for its lack of stealth in the radar field. The Su-30SM is considered one of the best fighters in the world, it has excellent characteristics, this machine can rightfully be called the pinnacle of the development of the Su-27 aircraft line. Some Russians claim the tactical and technical data of the Su-30SM were in many ways comparable to those of the American F-22 fighter. At the same time, the Russian aircraft is slightly larger in size, and its combat radius is almost twice that of the F-22 (1,500 km versus 760 km).
Su-30SM2 "Super Sukhoi" Multirole Fighter
The Su-30SM2 inherited all the advantages of its predecessor, the Su-30SM, such as super-maneuverability and long range. The combat vehicle has a crew of two. During the modernization, imported equipment was replaced with Russian equipment. Among other things, the aircraft received an improved optical-electronic sighting and navigation system and an improved electronic countermeasure system.
The Russian Aerospace Forces and Navy aviation were armed with 130 Su-30 fighters of all modifications. According to information, the Ministry of Defense plans to upgrade all aircraft in stages to the SM2 level by the end of 2027. The military actions in Syria had a major impact on the need to upgrade the multi-role fighter. Since 2015, experimental design work has been underway to increase combat capabilities and import substitution of foreign components on the basic Su-30SM, which received the designation "Adaptation-Su". As part of this, the aircraft is also being modified to use new air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons.
Initially, it was planned to enhance the armament and change the avionics composition. In this form, the aircraft received the designation Su-30SM1. In 2018, it became known about the order of the Russian president to unify the Su-30SM and Su-35S as much as possible. For this purpose, the preparation of the AL-41F-1S variant began, as well as the possibility of installing a much more powerful Irbis radar on it instead of the current Bars. The index of this variant was changed to Su-30SM2.
On January 20, 2022, the Russian Navy received the first four modified Su-30SM2 fighters. In total, the Navy will receive 24 (21) modernized Su-30SM2 fighters. A new batch of multi-role Su-30SM2 aircraft was delived to the Russian Aerospace Forces in August 2024. The main difference between the Su-30SM2 and its predecessor, the Su-30SM, is that its imported equipment has been replaced with domestic analogues.
The Su-30SM2 fighter, the assembly of which is in Irkutsk, has a number of interesting features. For example, the detachable part of the wing, inside which the fuel tank is located, is made removable. This was done so that the fighters could be loaded on board a transport aircraft, which allows them to be quickly transferred to any point in the world. Alexey Chechelnitsky, head of the IAZ unit assembly department, told how delicate and responsible the work of joining the wing to the central section of the fuselage is. More than a hundred holes need to be aligned. After that, the inspector must check not only the diameter of the holes, but also the roughness, as well as how the centers of the holes match. All this must be perfectly aligned.
In the tail section of the fuselage, which also contains a fuel tank, sealing is achieved using a special sealant, all riveted seams were coated. The warranty period for such seams is equal to the service life of the aircraft itself - the tanks should not leak for 30 years.
In the same tail section of the aircraft, where the engines were installed, they no longer use duralumin, but titanium, since there were huge temperatures there. The airframe is being prepared for a new, more powerful engine. The AL-41F1S is not to be confused with the AL-41F1, which is installed on the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter. These were now installed on all Su-35s and even on many fifth-generation Su-57 fighters. Soon they will be installed on the "thirty" as well. With the new power plant, the aircraft will gain in climb rate, turning radius and engine life. According to Oleg Pankov, chief designer of the Su-30 program, the aircraft will go into production with the new engine next year. The first "thirty" with such an engine is only undergoing testing.
“A more powerful engine from the Su-35 will provide a greater thrust reserve. And this means an increased amount of ammunition and equipment that the aircraft will be able to have on board,” Honored Test Pilot Colonel Igor Malikov told Izvestia. “The variable thrust vector gives the aircraft the ability to conduct maneuverable air combat. This is an advantageous situation for a fighter, but it will require appropriate electronic equipment and weapons control systems. When a fighter quickly changes its position, the instruments must reliably track the movement of targets, and the pilot must be able to use air-to-air missiles against them.”
What else distinguishes the Su-30SM2 modification from the previous one? Firstly, long-range weapons. As Oleg Pankov noted, practically everything that the Russian Federation has today in terms of aviation weapons is used on the Su-30SM2.
Secondly, the fighter's radar characteristics have changed significantly. Since there were long-range weapons, long-range detection, tracking, and all modes that ensure the operation of these weapons were also needed. The detection range has been increased almost twice as compared to the Su-30SM for both ground, air, and sea targets. The chief designer said that when one of the military units received this aircraft and modern anti-radar weapons, literally on the third day it destroyed the Patriot, NATO’s best air defense system.
Oleg Pankov also noted that work is currently underway on a new stage of software, which will be implemented next year. In particular, detection of low-speed and hypersonic targets may appear. However, the fight against hypersonics is work for the future, since the enemy does not have hypersonic targets yet, and now the front needs new aircraft. Not sometime later, but here and now, and a lot of them. This is the pace at which the plant in Irkutsk works, celebrating 90 years of work this year with new labor feats.
The navigator, who currently flies the Su-30SM but has already completed training on the new model, told the host of "Military Priyomka" about the radical difference between the aircraft. According to him, the Su-30SM2 is more accurate, it has a more powerful radar detection system, allowing the navigator to "see" further without relying on ground systems. One of the main types of armament of the "thirty" is the KAB-500 guided aerial bomb. It is attached to the engine nacelle at the factory, while the instruments responsible for the release were adjusted in the cabin. Under the cap of the head of the aerial bomb is a camera with a gyroscope, which transmits a signal directly to the pilot or operator for working with the product. Everything that the camera lens sees is displayed in the cabin.
The commander of a special fighter group, who has been participating in the SVO since its first hours, gave his assessment of the "thirty" systems. He noted the effectiveness of the electronic warfare system, which allows monitoring the electronic situation around the aircraft and conducting reconnaissance in flight. The entire electronic situation is recorded during the flight and analyzed upon arrival with reference to a map. Understanding who irradiated the aircraft, from what angles, the crews receive invaluable data on the enemy's air defense systems. So the "thirty" is not only a fighter and a bomber, but also a reconnaissance aircraft.
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