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 Since the Su-35S is a single-seater, an aircraft with the twin controls was required for pilots to train to fly the plane featuring supermanoeuvrability that is new to the Russian Air Force aircraft fleet. In this connection, a basic decision was made in 2011 to order from the Irkut corporation a batch of Su-30SM two-seat supermanoeuvrable multirole fighters - a version of the export-oriented Su-30MKI tailored to meet the requirements of the Russian Air Force. 30 aircraft of the type were ordered for RusAF on 20 March 2012. Later, a decision was made to buy more Su-30SMs for the Russian Defence Ministry, considering the Su-35S need of numerous enough tests and, hence, a longer time for fielding with RusAF and given the Su-30MKI being in service with several air forces as multirole fighters capable of a wide range of missions (the Indian, Algerian and Malaysian air forces have around 250 Su-30MKIs, Su-30MKI(A)s and Su-30MKMs). On 18 December 2012, a contract was signed for delivery of 30 aircraft more to RusAF until 2015. The first Su-30SM order by the Russian Navy was also announced earlier this year: five aircraft will have been made within the coming two years under the deal struck in December 2013, with the overall requirement of naval aviation estimated at more than 50 Su-30SMs.
The first two Su-30SMs (side numbers 01 and 02) took to the air in Irkutsk in September 2012 and delivered in November of the same year, having started their official flight tests at the Defence Ministry State Flight Test Centre in Akhtubinsk. Last spring, they were followed by another aircraft (No. 54), and later on three more Su-30SMs (No. 55, 56, 57) arrived at the Lipetsk-based Training and Operational Evaluation Centre, where combat unit pilots started training on them and research flights commenced to work out tactics.
At the same time, the aircraft plant in Irkutsk launched Su-30SM production under the second contract for the conversion of RusAF fighter air regiments. The first combat unit to convert to the Su-30SM was the Domna AFB vic. Chita. It received 10 aircraft of the type in November and December 2013. Unlike the first six aircraft supplied to Akhtubinsk and Lipetsk, they sport the traditional sky-blue camouflage pattern, rather than the dark grey one. The Domna AFB pilots trained in Lipetsk launched scheduled Su-30SM operations as far back as December 2013.
Overall, 16 Su-30SM fighters had been made and delivered by this year. According to Irkut's President Oleg Demchenko, the aircraft plant in Irkutsk is to build 21 Su-30SMs this year. More than half of them are planned for delivery to Domna AFB that will complete the conversion of two fighter air squadrons to the type. The rest of the aircraft will be fielded with other Air Force units. In addition, the first Su-30SMs are supposed to be given to the Russian Navy Combat Training and Conversion Centre in Yeisk.
This year's first Su-30SM deliveries took place late in May, when two more aircraft were shipped to Domna AFB, followed by three more in June.
Mention should be made that concurrently with the delivery of Irkutsk-built Su-30SMs to RusAF, Sukhoi's plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur continues to make Su-30M2 two-seat multirole fighters designed, in the first place, to ensure effective training of pilots with the Air Force units using Su-27SM and Su-27SM(3) fighters. The aircraft is a 'Russianised' variant of the export-oriented Su-30MK2 (165 Su-30MKKs and Su-30MK2s have been exported to China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Venezuela and Uganda). RusAF made the first order of four Su-30M2s in August 2009, and the fighters were delivered to Dzyomgi, Tsentralnaya Uglovaya and Krymsk airbases the next year. On 29 December 2012, Sukhoi snagged a new order of 16 aircraft of the type to be delivered the Defence Ministry during 2013-15. The first four of them had been completed by the KnAAZ plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur by late last year. Two brand-new Su-30M2s (side numbers 20 and 40) were sent to the air base in Krymsk in the Southern Military District and the third one (No. 41) to Tsentralnaya Uglovaya in the Russian Far East. The fourth aircraft (No. 30) was handed over to the fighter air regiment at Dzyomgi AFB in early January 2014. Six to eight newly-built Su-30M2s more could be delivered this year.
(Photo: Alexey Mikheyev)
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