First Su-30SM2 fighters delivered to the Russian Navy
According to Alexander Veprev, General Director of the Irkutsk Aviation Plant of PJSC Irkut Corporation and Deputy General Director of PJSC Irkut Corporation, the first four modernised multifunctional Sukhoi Su-30SM2 fighters have been manufactured at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant.
The fighters have passed all the necessary tests and have been accepted by the military representation of the Russian Federation - Naval Aviation (AVMF-RF, Russian Navy) during a single day of acceptance of military products, which was held on 20 January 2022 at the National Defence Control Center of Russia.
The Sukhois were delivered to the 1st squadron of the 4th Guards Naval Assault Aviation Regiment of the 34th mixed aviation division Aviation of the Baltic Fleet at Chernyakhovsk air base (formerly the 72nd Air Base) in the Kaliningrad region. Serials of the delivered aircraft are Bort No. 78 Blue, 79 Blue, 80 Blue and 81 Blue. This unit already operates eight Su-30SM fighters, Bort No. 70 Blue to 77 Blue, plus an undisclosed number of Su-24M and Su-24MR.
The head of the aircraft plant specified that as part of the modernisation of the Su-30SM2 aircraft, imported equipment was replaced with domestic analogues. The fighter received improved performance characteristics of the opto-electronic aiming and navigation complex, the ECM system and radar control system, providing increase in the detection range of air targets. In addition, the range of available air-to-air and air-to-surface guided weapons has been expanded.
The technical details on the Su-30SM2 upgrade programme are: Izd.117S engine replacing the Al-31FP (16% more thrust), N035 Irbis-E radar replacing the N011M-R Bars-R, OLS-35 IRST replacing the OLS-30SM as part of the OEPrNK-30SM integrated electronic-targeting suite, Russian NStS-T-03 helmet-mounted cueing system replacing the Ukrainian-supplied NStS Sura, KRET Khibiny ECM system, KNIRTI SAP-518SM Regata jammer pods, OSNOD joint system for communication, navigation and data sharing (incl. guidance of drones), Thales VEH-3022 HUD replaced by IKSh-1M from the Su-35S or ShKS-5 from the Su-57, Sagem Sigma-95NAA inertial system replaced by BINS-SP2 hybrid inertial/satellite navigation system, Thales SMD55S/66S displays replaced by a new cockpit suite designed by RPKB Ramenskoye, unification of weaponry with the Su-35S (incl. R-37M), plus a possible addition of the Kh-32 cruise missile.
UPDATE: The delivered Sukhois are actually nothing more than indigenous Su-30SMs, without any of the aforementioned upgraded capabilities. The mentioned upgrades are reserved for the future SM3 to SM6 versions, if they materialize, at all ...
Photo: video still via tvzezda and NSKPlanes