The Indian Air Force’s Su-30MKI is a mixture of

an Irkut-developed flight control system with a

SUKHOI SU-27/30
AIRCRAFT EFFECTIVENESS
VERSUS REPUTATION
William F. Owen and R. F. Johnson

Since the post-Soviet boom of arms export orders experienced by Moscow began in the early 1990s, in almost any
given year over 50 per cent of this export revenue is from the sale of Su-27/30 aircraft. Nowhere are the success
and capabilities of this aircraft more evident than in the Asia-Pacific region. The People’s Republic of China (PRC),
India, Vietnam - and then later Malaysia and Indonesia - are all customers for this well-known Sukhoi fighter.
Most of these clients subsequently signed up for and/or are projected to make more follow-on orders.

T
he development of the needs of specific customers. This in their export configuration, or that
models such as the in itself is not unusual in the military subsystems produced indigenously in
Su-30MKI, Su-30MKK aircraft business. There are numerous that nation be substituted for US-made
and Su-30MKM was a versions of the Lockheed-Martin F- analogues. Israel is a prime example
sign that the market for 16 that have been sold to different of this latter practice.
the Russian fighter was becoming customers who have demanded either The difference is that at the end of
increasingly specialised and tailored to certain specific components be utilised the day all of the F-16s are produced

20 ◆ May 2007
either at the one LM plant in Fort PLAAF. option appealed to the Chinese
Worth, Texas and/or are produced In 1997 Irkut, developed the because their primary goal is to be
under that one production centre’s Su-30MKI (“I” for India) program. able to produce most of the major
OEM design authority. In cooperation with the Sukhoi subsystems for the Su-30MKK under
In Russia, as a result of the Design Bureau Irkut added a license in the PRC. Thus far, the
commercialisation and re-organisation moveable canard and a thrust Russians have been willing to share a
that occurred after the collapse of the vector control (TVC) module to great deal of technology and have also
USSR, the two major production centres the aircraft’s planform making it a taught the Chinese how to develop
of these fighters, the Komsomolsk- super-maneuverable fighter. A new- some of their own innovations.
na-Amure Aviation Production generation NIIP-designed N011M In the second stage, which the
Association (KNAAPO) in the Russian passive electronically scanning radar Chinese are well into at this point,
Far East province of Khabarovsk set and an “international” avionics the PLAAF will become self-sufficient
and the Irkut plant in Siberia, both suite that included Indian, Israeli and by having some of the Russian-made
sell and build the Su-27/30 designs. French components made the aircraft major components replaced by
While near identical in appearance multi-role. Chinese analogues. Recently, the
and many other characteristics, both KNAAPO, which had sold a Shenyang aircraft works that licence-
companies’ aeroplanes are different. number of older-generation Su-27 produce the Su-27s in China under
This competition began as those who models to the PLAAF in the first half the designator of J-11 have flown a
produce aeroplanes for India utilising of the decade, followed suit not long J-11B model aircraft that is reportedly
third country on-board systems (Irkut) thereafter with the Su-30MKK model, equipped with a Chinese-made engine
v. the KNAAPO aeroplanes which use with the second “K” here meaning and radar set. The experience of US
almost all-Russian made systems and “Kitai,”- the Russian word for China. and EU sanctions has had the result
are the principle suppliers to China’s The all-Russian on-board systems of the Chinese trying to inoculate

The first international appearance of the modernized Su-27SKM at the 2003 Dubai Air Show. (PHOTO: Reuben F. Johnson)

May 2007 ◆ 21
A Su-30MKI of 20 Squadron, “The Lightnings” seen landing at Lohegaon airbase in India. (Photo : Simon Watson)

themselves against any embargoes in Su-30MKI but without any Israeli the major supplier for Irkut. It is
the future. on-board systems, and Indonesia has interesting to note that the two engine
Additionally, the KNAAPO-built contracted for Su-30 and Su-27 model firms each developed their own,
Su-30MKK also does not include the fighters from KNAAPO - although completely different TVC modules for
canard that is part of the Su-30MKI’s they are considering switching to Irkut the aircraft’s AL-31F engine.
planform. This modification to the with their next order.
Su-30 was developed by Irkut. Thus, Competition between the producers NEW RADAR SYSTEMS
they technically own the intellectual has a follow on effect in terms of the Two of major suppliers that are
property rights to this modification supply of major components and consistent between the two competing
and it cannot be offered to the Chinese sub-systems. For example, most of concerns, are the radar design bureaus
unless KNAAPO pay a license or the avionics development on the Su- of NIIP and Phazotron. The NIIP N001
royalty fee for to their Irkut rivals. 30MKI/MKM models for Irkut is being radar set that was originally developed
performed by OKB Russkaya Avionika, for the Su-27/30 aircraft in the 1980s
DUAL TRACKS with the Ramenskoye Instrument has been replaced by the N011M in
Both plants have now signed up Design Bureau doing the same for the Su-30MKI/MKM fighters from
second-order customers. Malaysia KNAAPO. Moscow-based Salyut has Irkut. The N011 was being considered
in the case of Irkut has signed up for been the primary engine supplier to for the latest batch of KNAAPO Su-
18 Su-30MKMs, an “Islamic” version KNAAPO’s Chinese customer, while 30MKMs, along with the Phazotron
of the aircraft that is similar to the the Saturn/Rybinsk alliance has been Zhuk-MSE as another option. Both

22 ◆ May 2007
models are current-generation Baguet also takes over all the radar’s These and other changes enhance
systems that are substantially more secondary processing functions the air-to-air performance and add air-
capable than the originals and reflect and negates the need for several to-ground modes. The aircraft essen-
a customer demand led emphasis on other components that can now be tially becomes a multi-role aeroplane.
continued research and development. removed.
NIIP have also developed less If the mechanical array is then CURRENT CAPABILITY
costly solutions that can be retrofitted replaced with the NIIP-built Pero When the Chinese first acquired
to older aircraft, which both factories antenna the radar now becomes the the baseline, first-generation model
have employed with both domestic N001VEP “Panda” model (named Su-27 in the early 1990s - and then
and foreign customers. The upgraded so because of the fact that its later a licence to locally assemble
N001VE radar retains the older development was largely paid for with 200 of this model in the middle of the
model mechanically-steered antenna, PRC funding), and makes it a passive decade - they gained a technology
but replaces the central processor electronically scanning radar (PESA). transfer and insight into designing a
in the radar with a newer, lighter, This further enhances both air-to- real fourth-generation aeroplane. This
high speed model called the Baguet ground and air-to-air modes, as well as was something that they just had not
that also eliminates about 264 lbs of extending the range of the Su-27/30’s been able to produce themselves.
weight from the radar assembly. The weapon systems. In the end it was this elevation

Moscow’s Salyut have been the primary supplier of Saturn/Lyulka AL-31F engines for the Su-27/30s sold to the PLAAF

24 ◆ May 2007
of Chinese defence and aerospace air force is willing to buy any aircraft What makes this question such
industry up to the next level from any manufacturer that does a dilemma is that there are various
technologically - to a point where the not leverage the potential capability levels of performance and capability
Chinese could approach something increase inherent to successful to choose from - particularly if we are
resembling self-awareness - that upgrading. talking about used Su-27/30 models.
may end up having been far more Modernisation packages for these Customers will have to make a very
important to the PLAAF than the aircraft run the full gambit. From careful analysis of what cost versus
aeroplane itself. non-OEM approved modifications capability route they prefer. In having
Instead, what the Chinese made by Israeli and other third party two producers to choose from, the
want now, is to be able to build nations to Su-27s acquired by Ethiopia customer, to a certain extent, also
the next-generation of the Su-27 and Eritrea, to the bargain package has to decide on the upgrade and
design, the Su-30MKK and to have upgrade offered by the Belarus BARP capability route they decide to peruse.
their current aircraft modernised No. 558 (designated the Su-27BM), This means having to study the
to a more contemporary configura- to a menu of modernisation options actual capabilities of the companies
tion. offered by Russian enterprises. (See concerned, almost as much as the
In near identical terms to the F-15 the separate box that outlines the capabilities of the aircraft. An initial
and 16, the continued development of details of the aircraft’s many varied purchase made from one producer
the Su-27 over 20 years, has meant a configurations.) may be superseded by an upgrade
considerable increase in capability. The difficulty for all the the Su-27/ from the other.
For example, the baseline Su-27 30 customers is trying to decide which Above all, the decision means
with the N001 radar set of the 1980s way they want to go. Do I need a new rolling the dice on which modernised
is as different from the latest Su-35 aeroplane? If so, then from which configuration the Russian Air Force
derivative as the old F-16A/B aircraft production plant? Can I upgrade will finally decide to retrofit into the
from the F-16E/F Block 60 that was a used aeroplane? Again, which majority of its own aeroplanes. If a
sold to the UAE Air Force. No modern company’s package to select? country makes the right decision they

A selection of armaments integrated on the Su-30MKI. From L-R: R-73 (AA-11), R-77 (AA-12), R-27 (AA-10) and a KAB-500 electro-optically guided bomb.
(Photo : Simon Watson)

26 ◆ May 2007
 Su-30MKI: Range: 3,000 km (1,600 nm) un-refueled: Service ceiling: 18,000 m: Rate of climb: >303 m/s: Wing loading: 556 kg/m: Thrust/weight: 0.77

Su-30MKI: Range: 3,000 km (1,600 nm) un-refueled: Service ceiling: 18,000 m: Rate of climb: >303 m/s: Wing loading: 556 kg/m: Thrust/weight: 0.77

could have no problems down the answered. Multiple and bespoke new, on-board systems that works
road with service and support, but the configurations are going to be the today, but may present support
wrong decision will have precisely the rule rather than the exception for some challenges in the future, or a
opposite effect. time to come. Customers are going less-ambitious modernisation that is
And it is this above all that is to have to choose what really makes based on easily available and readily
the biggest capability question to be an aeroplane capable. A package of supportable components.

28 ◆ May 2007
 GUIDE TO THE SU-27/30 FAMILY OF AEROPLANES

In the present day an Su-27/30 must come from one specifically for Malaysia, which signed a contract for the
of the two factories that manufacture these aircraft. The purchase of 18 aircraft in 2003. Indonesia are reportedly
confusion cause by the myriad of differing designations interested in this version, switching from KNAAPO as
can be sorted out with the short guide below of all the their principle supplier. (Irkut)
different variants that have either been built or had
contracts signed for thus far. The identity of which of the Su-30KI - a single-seat version derived from the
two production centers is responsible for each version is original Su-27SK export model sold to the PLAAF and
indicated in brackets. equipped with an air-to-air refueling system, the A-737
GPS system with dual GLONASS/NAVSTAR capability
Su-30K - the original export version of the two-seat and VOR, ILS and DME navigation/landing systems.
Flanker based on the Su-27UB and is equipped with This variant was developed initially for Indonesia.
an air refuelling system and GPS navigation aids. This (KNAAPO)
model was originally supplied to India as a stop-gap
measure until the Su-30MKIs were to be delivered. Su-30KN - a two-seat version based on the Su-30K
(Irkut) with a modernised avionics suite and radar that has an
additional autonomous channel so that air-to-air and
Su-30MKI - a multirole two-seat fighter with moveable air-to-ground functions are separated. This version was
canards, a TVC module and an “international” avionics developed cooperatively by Irkut and OKB Russkaya
suite of systems provided by France, Israel and India. It Avionika, but only one prototype has been modified
is fitted with the NIIP-designed N011M “Bars” passive to this configuration. The Su-30KN was offered as an
electronically scanning radar (PESA) and an extended option that would be a deeper modernisation than the
air-to-ground and air-to-air loadout scheme. This model Su-27SK/SM, but still below the level of a Su-30MKI/
is currently in Indian service. (Irkut) MKM. (Irkut)

Su-30MKK - a two-seat fighter without the canards, Su-27SK/SM - a single-seat version that retains the
extended air-to-ground capabilities, and other features older configuration of avionics and the N001 radar. It
of the Su-30MKI. This model is currently in service with has several new hardware and software updates that
China’s PLAAF and uses an all-Russian avionics suite. convert the formerly air-to-air only Su-27 interceptor
(KNAAPO) into an aircraft that can now fire all air-to-air and
air-to-ground weaponry in the Russian arsenal. This
Su-30MKK-2 (Su-30MK2) - a multirole two-seat is an upgrade of older model Su-27 fighters that is
fighter for PLAAF with a modernized N001VE radar performed concurrently with a re-manufacturing full-
with the NIIP-designed Pero antenna upgrade and a fire scale overhaul of the aircraft. A number of Su-27s so
control system capable of employing new-generation far have been delivered to the Russian Air Force in this
PGM, plus extended air-to-sea capabilities. Currently upgraded configuration. (KNAAPO)
this model is in series production. (KNAAPO)
Su-35/37 - the next step in the evolution of the
Su-30MKK-3 (Su-30MK3) - this newer version of Su-27/30 design (originally known as the Su-27M
the two-seat fighter was also designed for the PLAAF, during its development) that encompasses a number of
but would have had a new avionics suite and radar set new design features, but remains a fourth-generation-
once its configuration is finalized - either an N011M plus aircraft. The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) had
similar to that fitted to the Su-30MKI or the Zhuk-MSE been interested in procuring this model before its
from Phazotron. The current status of this programme is F/X programme was put into abeyance, but now the
unknown. (KNAAPO) programme appears to be ready to start up again. In the
meantime, Sukhoi have managed to sell the aircraft to
Su-30MKM - a multirole two-seat fighter that is Venezuela. The current Su-35 (the Su-37 designation
similar to the Su-30MKI but with a different avionics has disappeared for now) on offer has the canard
configuration. The Israeli systems that are part of foreplanes deleted from the configuration and instead
the Su-30MKI’s configuration will be deleted from relies solely on the TVC module for manoeuvreability.
this “Islamic” version and replaced with additional NIIP have also developed a new-generation PESA radar,
French avionics modules. This model was developed the “Irbis” model, for this aeroplane. (KNAAPO)

May 2007 ◆ 29