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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