Russian Army to receive 14 Su-30SM fighters
24 new fighter and training aircraft will be delivered to the Russian military in 2018.
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A Russian Su-30SM fighter. Photo:Aviationist. |
"The arms supply program for 2018 includes 24 aircraft, including 10 Yak-130 training fighters, 12 Su-30SM multirole fighters for the air force and two for the navy,"TassFebruary 7 quoted a statement by Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov.
The Russian Defense Ministry plans to order at least 84 Su-30SMs for the Air Force and 50 for the Naval Aviation. By the end of 2016, the Irkut plant, which produces this multirole fighter, had delivered at least 79 Su-30SMs to the Russian Defense Ministry, along with four other aircraft to the Kazakhstan Air Force.
The Su-30SM is a 4++ generation multirole fighter designed by Sukhoi. This is the most modern version of the Su-30 series, developed based on the Su-30MKI fighter platform for India.
The Su-30SM can perform air defense missions, long-range strikes, destroy ground and sea targets, as well as conduct electronic warfare and early warning operations. The SU-30SM can carry 8 tons of weapons, including various bombs, missiles and rockets.
The Su-30SM uses two Saturn AL-31 engines with a thrust of more than 12 tons and reaches a maximum speed of Mach 2. During the military campaign in Syria, the Su-30SM fighter was deployed by the Russian army to escort bombers conducting airstrikes against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) militants.
