LMFS Sun May 02, 2021 4:20 pm
Thrust for the better: Su-30SM fighters will get a heavy-duty upgrade
The vehicles will be upgraded to the Super-Sukhoi SM2 variant.»
Russian Su-30SM fighters will be upgraded. They will be upgraded to the Super-Dry CM2 modification. The vehicles will receive a highly maneuverable engine, as well as unique radars. In addition, their arsenal will be significantly expanded. It will include the latest guided aerial bombs and missiles. According to experts, such modernization will significantly increase the potential of Russian combat aviation.
Sukhoi place: the latest fighter jets will be delivered to the naval aviation industry
Izvestia learned details of the contract for the purchase of Su-30SM2 combat vehicles
All on the " deuce»
As sources in the military department told Izvestia, a fundamental decision on upgrading the Su-30SM fleet to the CM2 level has already been made. It is planned that the work will be completed before 2027. Under the upgrade will fall not only fighters of the Aerospace Forces, but also naval aviation. However, according to the interlocutors of the publication, the exact number of "thirty", which will be upgraded to the level of the Su-30SM2, has not yet been determined.
Currently, the Russian Defense Ministry has already signed a contract for the supply of just over two dozen Su-30s in the SM2 variant. This was announced last year by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The total cost of the order will be more than 100 billion rubles. But these machines will be released from scratch. It is planned that they will replenish the fleet of two naval assault air regiments, as well as at least one VKS squadron.
Now "Sukhoi" of the thirtieth series in the basic version of the SM — the most numerous type of modern fighters in service with Russia. As part of the VKS and naval aviation of the Navy, today there are about 130 vehicles. Su-30SM aircraft were also delivered to the armed forces of the CSTO member states. Several dozen Su-30SM aircraft were purchased by Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Since 2015, domestic engineers have been working to increase the combat capabilities of the Su-30SM. In particular, it was decided to unify the Su-30SM and Su-35S as much as possible. To do this, the preparation of a version of the "thirty" with a new engine began, as well as the possibility of installing a much more powerful Irbis radar on the fighter instead of the current "Leopard". The index of this variant was changed to Su-30SM2.
As part of the modernization, the developers are solving the problem of installing the AL-41F-1C engine on the Su-30SM2, which is equipped with super-maneuverable Su-35S fighters. Compared to the current Su-30SM powerplant, the thrust of the new "engine" is increased by 16%, up to 14,500 kgf. The service life of the aircraft engine has doubled immediately, up to 4 thousand hours, without increasing the mass and dimensions. Equipped with a plasma ignition system, the AL-41F-1C is more economical than the AL-31FP currently installed on the "thirty". With the same amount of fuel, the fighter will be able to stay in the air longer. In addition, the on-board electronics, radar and optical-location station have been improved.
Also, development work is currently underway, which has received the designation "Adaptation-Su". As previously reported by Izvestia» within its framework, the Su-30SM and Su–30SM2 are being refined for the use of new air–to-air and air-to-ground weapons, including hypersonic ones.
"Any modernization of the aircraft first of all allows the pilot to see further with the help of radar equipment," Honored Test Pilot Hero of Russia Igor Malikov told Izvestia. — And the further you see the goal, the faster you can make a decision. The planned modernization is very reasonable. In order to avoid being shot down, you must see far and shoot far. It is ranged combat that is very much in demand right now.
Hit of the season
According to the former commander of the 4th Army of the Air Force and Air Defense, Lieutenant General Valery Gorbenko, each modification or even a new aircraft has more combat capabilities than the previous ones, in this case, before the Su-30.
- The updated propulsion system, firstly, reduces fuel consumption, and secondly, due to this, with the same fuel reserve, the flight range increases. The improved radar enhances the ability to accurately determine and detect the enemy, " he said.
https://iz.ru/1159091/roman-kretcul-anna-cherepanova/tiaga-k-luchshemu-istrebiteli-su-30sm-poluchat-sverkhmoshchnyi-apgreid
So, Irbis in the end, or just upgraded Bars?