MOSCOW, March 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
"Defending Russia" (http://www.defendingrussia.ru) is proud to
confirm delivery to Kazakhstan of
4 Russian fighter aircraft Su-30SM. The delivery marks the
completion of the first phase of the order, which was announced in
February and will see a total of 36 aircraft manufactured and
exported to Kazakhstan, as the
country looks to bolster its combat aircraft reserves.
(Photo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150326/736388-INFO )
The Su-30 (http://defendingrussia.ru/english/Su-30_family)
project dates back to the Soviet period when, in 1988, the
designing of an interceptor based on the combat trainer Su-27UB
commenced. Four years later, on April 14,
1992, the first production aircraft successfully took off.
Following the collapse of the USSR, however, when mass production
operations slowed to a halt, the Su-30 was used mainly for testing
and exhibiting at international air shows. Production of the
"original" Su-30 eventually ceased, as engineers struggled to
unlock the aircraft's full potential. Work on the Su-30MK began in
1992.
In 1996 India agreed to purchase 40 Su-30MKI. The Su-30MKI was
considerably different from the dual control aircraft: canards were
included in the aircraft structure, the machines were equipped with
advanced avionics and engines with thrust vectoring nozzle. The
first flight of the Su-30MKI prototype took place on July 1, 1997. Since then, the aircraft has been
modernized in Belarus and, in
2013, was sold to Angola. With
orders totalling 272, the Su-30MKI now forms the core of the Indian
Air Force.
Other aircraft in the Su-30 family include the Su-30MKK and the
Su-30MK2, primarily intended for export to China. The first flight of the Su-30MKK was
performed in 1999, with the first machines delivered to the
customer at the end of 2000. The Su-30МК2, a modification of the
Su-30MKK with more progressive avionics, was developed in 2002. In
total, China has purchased 76
aircraft Su-30MKK and 24 aircraft Su-30MK2. Over the last fifteen
years, over 500 aircraft from the Su-30 family have been exported
to countries across the world, including Algeria, Malaysia, Venezuela, Vietnam, Indonesia and Uganda.
Production of the Su-30SM for the Russian Air Force has been in
progress since 2012. Contracts for 72 aircraft have already been
entered into and additional purchases are expected. The Su-30M2,
manufactured by Komsomolsk on Amur Aviation Production Association
(KAAPA), is intended to replace combat trainers Su-27UB: 20
aircraft Su-30M2 have been ordered in total. The first deliveries
were carried out in 2010.