Russia Finally Becomes An Su-30 Player . The Russian Air Force recently ordered another
30 Su-30SM two-seat fighters. Thirty of these were ordered back in April and
deliveries to the Russian Air Force were to begin in six months and the first
one did arrive six months later. All this was pretty impressive when you consider
that Su-30SM flew for the first time last September 21st. All 60 SU-30SMs are
to be delivered by 2016. Before this order Russia had only 11 Su-30s in
service, far fewer than China and India.
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| RUSSIAN SU-30SM |
All Russia could afford until recently
was the older Su-27. The Su-30SM is a Russian Air Force version of the Su-30MKI
that has long been exported (to India, Algeria, and Malaysia). For the last two
decades Russian defense manufacturers have survived on exports. The Russian
military halted most procurement spending after the Soviet Union collapsed in
1991 (largely from financial mismanagement). In the last decade the Russian
military has gradually resumed buying. Initially, the Russian military could
not afford the best stuff (like the Su-30MKI). But that has changed, and now
the Russian military is catching up. This is the first Su-30 model for the
Russian Air Force that uses thrust vectoring (the ability of the engine to
direct its exhaust a bit and enhance maneuverability). Both the Su-30SM and
Su-30MKI are most similar to the two seat American F-15E fighter-bomber. The
Su-30MKI, even though equipped with Western electronics, costs less than $40
million each, about half of what an equivalent F-15 costs. The Russian version
will have Russian electronics and other Russian made gear but otherwise be
nearly identical to the Su-30MKI. The Su-30MKI/SM can carry more than eight
tons of bombs and hit targets over 1,500 kilometers away. The Su-30SM is able
to use a large range of missiles and smart bombs.
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