Aircraft SU-30 CM: characteristics, photo

Fighter aviation in today's unstable and contradictory politics is an important trump card that can cool many hotheads. So the availability of modern machines with high combat efficiency is an important goal for the national defense industry. One of the best is the Su-30 SM fighter, whose characteristics we will discuss in this article.

Birth of the prototype

The progenitor, that is, the Su-30, although it was produced in large batches in the Russian Federation, was created in the USSR. So, back in 1988, work was started to improve the performance of the Su-27. It is known that the distinguishing feature of this aircraft was the excellent navigation system at that time, as well as the possibility of refueling in the air. Received machines were supposed to be used for air defense purposes. Due to the ability to a long flight, they could not be better suited for patrolling the country's airspace.

The serial Su-30 first took off in the spring of 1992. Almost immediately the car became a real sensation, since at a cost many times lower than that of all foreign analogues, it was several times higher than their combat performance. Not surprisingly, the fighter immediately became interested not only domestic specialists, but also potential customers abroad.

Destination of the aircraft

This aircraft is a modern and highly maneuverable fighter, which is used to gain unconditional supremacy in the air. It works well in the group, it can hit ground and surface targets, including enemy strike ship groupings.

Start of development

It all started back in 1994, when talks were held with India on the supply of Su-27 fighters. Even then, the Indians hinted that they would not mind buying more maneuverable planes, and the Russian 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-30 SM aircraft appeared, the photo of which you will find in our article, is the incomplete realization of the potential that was laid in the simple "thirty" by its creators.

Especially promising was the possibility of a massive destruction of ground targets: a car that was driving two pilots with good "autonomy" and range of flight, and even carrying eight tons of ammunition, definitely had excellent prospects to become the main striking force of the Russian air force.

Designing a new fighter began in 1995. The main designer of the project is A. F. Barkovsky. In 1996, the same India signed a contract for the supply of 40 new machines of various classes. It was assumed that the export batches would go with the gradual improvement of the tactical and technical properties of the aircraft. The executors of the State Order are various enterprises of the Sukhoi holding, the head office is the Irkutsk Aircraft Building Plant.

Experienced specimens

The first two Su-30 SM, the characteristics of which you will find in the article, were built in the period from 1995 to 1998. The first machine, created on the nodes of the standard Su-30, was launched in 1997. Behind the wheel was an experienced test-tester V. Yu. Averyanov. Since the middle of the same year, a large-scale program for testing and finalizing new machines began to prepare for their serial production. It began in 2000. At the same time, the first pre-series fighter was tested by Averyanov. Based on the results of these tests, three experimental vehicles were handed over to the Design Bureau for planned research and modernization.

Start of supply

The supply, in full accordance with the terms of the contract, was conducted in three stages. The first batch of 10 cars left for the customer in 2002, 12 Su-30 SM aircraft, whose characteristics delighted the customer, were sent in 2003. Already in 2004, these two machines were completely rearmed by two Indian squadrons.

How does the new machine differ from its predecessor?

So, what are the distinguishing features of the new fighter, and how does it differ from its predecessor? Here is their short list:

• For the first time, an engine with a variable thrust vector was delivered to a mass-produced fighter, and a remote control system operating in a single complex was installed on the machine. This is what made it possible to make the new car so maneuverable.
• In addition, the integration of the avionics systems, both imported and domestic, was carried out. The machine was created to some extent "international", as its components were received from 14 manufacturers from six countries.
• The radar with a rotary phased array is also another innovation, which until then was uncharacteristic for the domestic aircraft building complex. Finally, the Su-30 SM aircraft received a completely new ejection seat. What is especially pleasant is the Russian development.
• The nomenclature of the missiles used was significantly expanded, making the new aircraft much more universal and a formidable weapon for the Russian air force.

Basic TTX

• Take-off weight (maximum) - 34 500 kg.
• The length of the glider body is 21.9 m.
• The height in the highest part of the hull is 6.36 m.
• The flight range (maximum) is 2125 km / h.
• The optimal radius of combat use is 1500 km.
• The number of crew is two pilots.

What is armed with a new airplane?

• The newest system of on-board radiolocation of the BRS-B radar. It allows to identify and track several targets in automatic mode.
• Missiles of a controlled type. The class is air-to-air or air-to-surface.
• Bombs are manageable and unmanageable. There are 12 pylons for their suspension.
• The maximum weight of weapons on board is 8000 kg.
• For melee can also use 30 mm built-in gun GSh-30-1, which is typical for all domestic combat aircraft.

Equipped with a wide range of various weapons, the fighter is able to solve almost all typical tasks: from maneuverable melee to long-distance contact, when the destruction of the enemy occurs without a visual contact with it. Managed and unguided armament Su-30 SM makes it possible to destroy the enemy on land and on water. On the totality of all the characteristics, this fighter fairly bypasses even many new items of the foreign military-industrial complex, even if its design is already far from one year!

Taking into account that for the first time in the history of Russian aircraft construction the open design of airborne weapons was used, the modernization of the Su-30 SM, whose characteristics we are considering, is much simpler.

International recognition

The credibility of this aircraft was difficult to earn. According to many foreign experts, the collapsed Russian "defense industry" was simply physical and could not give anything worthwhile, and therefore initially the interest in our technology was disdainful-skeptical. But everything changed after several international exercises. At that time, many realized that they had underestimated the Russian aircraft. However, some experts were more perspicacious: when they received information about the modernized Su-27, which were also supplied to India, they highly praised the characteristics of this car.

Even these machines, the result of which improved and became the Su-30 SM aircraft, whose performance is much better, were able to establish themselves as reliable and high-class military equipment. After that, the high command of the Air Force of India decided that the level of their pilots completely allows them to measure their strength with American pilots. This happened on the teachings of Cope India-2004, when the opponents of the Hindu Su-30 SM, photos of which are in the article, were state F-15C.

Other facts

The results were somewhat discouraged by supporters of American technology. So, the superiority of the new technology in close combat proved 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 winning even in those cases when it was about battles at medium range.

In many respects this was due to the fact that the Su-30 SM (photos presented in this material) have more sophisticated systems that allow them to detect and track several targets at once. Therefore, it is not surprising that immediately after those epoch-making exercises in the United States, supporters of the immediate bringing to mind of the new F-22 Raptor were activated.

Why was the import so important?

If you carefully read our article, then you may well have an absolutely logical and logical question: Why is the Su-30 SM, whose technical characteristics are so good, is constantly being considered in the aspect of foreign supplies? Strangely enough, the answer is simple. At that time, when the aircraft building industry was not in its best condition, the state managed to load the same Irkutsk aircraft plant. This means not only providing jobs for thousands of people, but also ideally "licked" production technology.

After all, the Su-30 SM aircraft, the characteristics of which we have considered, have been in production for more than 15 years! At the same time, the machine remains quite relevant today due to its enormous potential in the field of modernization. Considering that these fighters in more or less adequate numbers began to arrive for the armament of the Russian Air Force, the pilots can only be happy: they get at their disposal not a "crude" prototype, but a completely logical system, brought to a constructive perfection.

Finally, admission to the troops does indicate 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-30 SM fighter is good not only for its technical perfection, but also the potential for possible use. Unlike many imported and domestic aircraft, this aircraft can be effectively used not only from ground-based airfields, but also from aircraft carriers. Of course, with aircraft-carrying cruisers in our country is not dense, but now the opportunity to direct these fighters to combat enemy aircraft aircraft carrier is pleased ...

Today Su-30 cm is constantly being modernized for the RF Armed Forces, when changes and improvements are constantly being made to the car. The potential built into this fighter is such that it will remain in our sky for a long time, not becoming obsolete over the years.