Fighter aviation in today's unstable and controversial politics is an important trump card that can cool many hotheads. So the availability of modern vehicles with high combat effectiveness is an important goal for the domestic defense industry. One of the best is the Su-30SM fighter, the characteristics of which we will analyze in this article.
Birth of a prototype
The progenitor, that is, the Su-30 aircraft, although produced in large quantities in the Russian Federation, was created in the USSR. So, back in 1988, work began to improve the performance of the Su-27. It is known that the distinguishing feature of this aircraft was an excellent navigation system for those times, as well as the ability to refuel in the air. The resulting machines were supposed to be used for air defense purposes. Due to the ability to long flight, they would be the best suited for patrolling the country's airspace.
The serial Su-30 first took to the air in the spring of 1992. Almost immediately, the car became a real sensation, asat a cost many times lower than that of all foreign counterparts, it was several times superior to them in terms of its combat performance. It is not surprising that not only domestic specialists, but also potential customers abroad became interested in the fighter.
Purpose of the aircraft
This aircraft is a modern and highly maneuverable fighter, which is used to gain unconditional air supremacy. Works well as part of a group, can hit ground and surface targets, including enemy attack ship groups.
Begin development
It all started back in 1994, when negotiations were underway with India on the supply of Su-27 fighters. Even then, the Indians hinted that they would not mind buying even more maneuverable aircraft, and the domestic army urgently needed new cars.
But the need for new technology was dictated not only by the needs of exports. The main reason why the Su-30SM aircraft appeared, the photo of which you will find in our article, is the incomplete realization of the potential that was built into the simple "thirty" by its creators.
The possibility of a massive destruction of ground targets was seen as especially promising: a machine that “carries” two pilots at once, has good “autonomy” and flight range, and even carries eight tons of ammunition, definitely had excellent prospects of becoming the main strike force domestic air force.
The design of the new fighter began in 1995. Chief designerproject - A. F. Barkovsky. In 1996, a contract was already signed with the same India for the supply of 40 new machines of various classes. It was assumed that the export batches will go with a gradual improvement in the tactical and technical properties of the aircraft. The executors of the State Order are various enterprises of the Sukhoi holding, the head department is the Irkutsk Aircraft Building Plant.
Prototypes
The first two Su-30SMs, the characteristics of which you will find in the article, were built between 1995 and 1998. The first machine, created on the nodes of the standard Su-30, took to the air already in 1997. An experienced tester V. Yu. Averyanov was sitting at the helm. From the middle of the same year, a large-scale program for testing and fine-tuning new machines began in order to prepare for their mass production. It started in 2000. At the same time, the first pre-production fighter was tested by Averyanov. Based on the results of these tests, three experimental machines were handed over to the Design Bureau for planned research and modernization.
Start of deliveries
Delivery, in full accordance with the terms of the contract, was carried out in three stages. The first batch of 10 aircraft went to the customer in 2002, 12 Su-30SM aircraft, the characteristics of which delighted the customer, were sent in 2003. Already in 2004, two Indian squadrons were completely re-equipped with these machines at once.
How is the new car different from its predecessor?
So, what are the distinguishing features of the new fighter, and how does it differ from its predecessor? Heretheir short list:
- For the first time, an engine with a variable thrust vector was supplied to a mass-produced fighter, and a remote control system operating in a single complex was also installed on the machine. This is what made the new car so agile.
- In addition, the integration of avionics systems, both imported and domestic production, was carried out. The machine was to some extent created "international", as its components were obtained from 14 manufacturers from six countries.
- Radar with rotary HEADLIGHTS is also another innovation, which until then was uncharacteristic for the domestic aircraft building complex. Finally, the Su-30SM received a completely new ejection seat. What is especially nice - Russian development.
- The range of missiles used was significantly expanded, which makes the new aircraft a much more versatile and formidable weapon of the Russian Air Force.
Basic performance characteristics
- Takeoff weight (maximum) - 34,500 kg.
- Length of airframe hull - 21.9 m.
- Height in the highest part of the hull - 6.36 m.
- Flight range (maximum) - 2125 km/h.
- Optimal range of combat use - 1500 km.
- The number of crew is two pilots.
What is the new aircraft armed with?
- The newest system of airborne radar radar "Bars-R". Allows you to detect and accompany several targets in automatic mode at once.
- Guided missiles. Class - "air-to-air" or "air-to-surface".
- Guided and unguided bombs. There are a total of 12 pylons for their suspension.
- The maximum weight of weapons on board is 8000 kg.
- For close combat, the 30-mm built-in cannon GSh-30-1, which is typical for all domestic military aviation, can also be used.
Equipped with a wide range of different weapons, the fighter is able to solve almost all typical tasks: from maneuverable close combat to long-range contact, when the destruction of the enemy occurs without visual contact with him. The guided and unguided armament of the Su-30SM makes it possible to destroy the enemy on land and on water. In the aggregate of all characteristics, this fighter rightly bypasses even many novelties of the foreign military-industrial complex, even if its design has been far from one year old!
Given that for the first time in the history of Russian aircraft construction an open scheme for constructing airborne weapons was used in this technique, the modernization of the Su-30SM, the characteristics of which we are considering, is noticeably simplified.
International recognition
The authority of this aircraft was hard to earn. According to many foreign experts, the collapsed Russian “defense industry” simply could not produce anything worthwhile, and therefore, initially, interest in our technology was dismissive and skeptical. But everything changed after several international exercises. At that time, many realized thatgreatly underestimated the Russian aircraft. However, some experts turned out to be more perspicacious: when they received information about the upgraded Su-27s, which were also supplied to India, they spoke highly of the characteristics of this aircraft.
Even these machines, the improvement of which resulted in the Su-30SM aircraft, whose performance is much better, have managed to establish themselves as reliable and high-class military equipment. After that, the high command of the Indian Air Force decided that the level of their pilots was quite suitable for them to measure their strength with American pilots. It happened at the Cope India-2004 exercises, when US F-15Cs became opponents of the Indian Su-30SMs, photos of which are in the article.
Other Facts
The results somewhat discouraged supporters of American technology. Thus, the superiority of the new technology in close combat turned out to be quite predictable, since domestic aircraft, in principle, are much more maneuverable than the old F-15s. Much more surprising was the fact that the Indian pilots were the winners even in cases where it was a fight at a medium distance.
This was largely due to the fact that the Su-30SM (photos are presented in this material) have more advanced systems that allow them to detect and track several targets at once. And therefore, there is nothing surprising in the fact that immediately after those epoch-making exercises in the United States, supporters of the immediate bringing the new F-22 Raptor to perfection became more active.
Why is import so important?
If youcarefully read our article, then you may well have an absolutely logical and logical question: why is the Su-30SM, whose technical characteristics are so good, constantly considered in the aspect of foreign deliveries? The answer, oddly enough, is simple. At a time when the aircraft industry was far from being in its best condition, the state still managed to load the same Irkutsk aircraft building plant. This means not only providing jobs for thousands of people, but also a perfectly polished production technology.
After all, the Su-30SM aircraft, the characteristics of which we have reviewed, has been in mass production for more than 15 years! At the same time, the machine, due to its huge potential in the field of modernization, remains quite relevant today. Considering that these fighters began to enter service with the Russian Air Force in more or less adequate numbers, one can only be glad for the pilots: they get at their disposal not a “raw” prototype, but a completely logical system brought to structural perfection.
Finally, joining the troops really indicates that the army is interested in training new pilots who will later master the T-50 PAK FA. Given the extremely unstable geopolitical situation in recent years, this is indeed an important circumstance.
The sea as a native element
But the Su-30SM fighter is good not only for its technical excellence, but also for its potential use. Unlike many foreign and domestic aircraft, this aircraft can effectivelybe used not only from ground airfields, but also from aircraft carriers. Of course, there are not many aircraft-carrying cruisers in our country, but the opportunity to send these fighters to fight enemy aircraft-carrier-based aircraft pleases …
Today, the Su-30 cm is constantly being upgraded for the RF Armed Forces, when some changes and improvements are constantly being made to the machine. The potential inherent in this fighter is such that it will stay in our skies for a long time, not becoming obsolete over the years.
