On February 6, the authoritative military publication Jane's gave an interesting assessment of the Russian fourth-generation multirole fighter Su-30MKI, expressed by retired Indian Air Force Marshal Daljita Singh. In short, the aircraft can no longer be considered advanced, and we are talking about key performance indicators.
In general, harsh assessments of fighters, including Russian ones, are far from uncommon. But the recent announcement is interesting for two reasons. Firstly, such high-ranking (albeit in the past) persons are not often frank about modern technology. Secondly, the Su-30MKI is a landmark vehicle. Perhaps this is generally the most iconic Russian combat aircraft among modern ones.
Again, there are several reasons. Since the market for modern combat aircraft is extremely narrow, taking into account the 250 Su-30MKI supplied to India, the aircraft can be called a "bestseller". If we talk about relatively modern domestic combat vehicles of this class, then, in general, there is nothing to compare it with. Take, for example, the Su-35 (not to be confused with the earlier Su-27M). Although initially it was seen as “export”, only 24 units were delivered directly to export. All cars went to China; Moreover, experts believe that the reason for the deal is not so much in the aviation complexes themselves, as in the AL-41F1S engine, the technology of which the Chinese desperately wanted to get, although they did not show it in public.
The second reason is the direct role of the machine in the Russian Aerospace Forces. Recall that the "Russified" version of the vehicle has the designation Su-30SM. Now the total number of such machines has exceeded a hundred, which makes this aircraft de facto the main means for gaining air supremacy for Russia. Along with the somewhat newer and more technologically advanced Su-35S, which is still smaller. Although this year, it seems, it is planned to conclude a new contract for 50 new Su-35S.
Better than the new two?
In the case of India, everything is even more interesting: the Su-30MKI was, is and will be the backbone of the country's air force. Recall that India withdrew from the program of creating a fifth-generation Russian-Indian fighter based on the Su-57, previously known as the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA). And the number of purchased French Dassault Rafale was reduced to 36 units: the "contract of the century" (MMRCA) ended, one might say, ingloriously. The rest of the Indian Air Force fighters, frankly speaking, are outdated and very much. This also applies to the MiG-29, and the Mirage 2000, and the MiG-21.
What do they think in India about their main fighter?
“Sukhoi is definitely an excellent and powerful platform. In terms of payload and range, it is of high value, but the reality is that the program was originally launched in 1997 and since then there have been numerous technological advances that require updating for the aircraft."
- said the aforementioned Indian Air Force Marshal Daljit Singh.
The military believes that two key elements in the Su-30MKI, a radar station and an electronic warfare system, are lagging behind modern counterparts and require modernization. Recall that the Su-30MKI / SM radar is an N011 Bars with a passive phased antenna array (PFAR). Its basic modification was created on the basis of the N001 radar with a slotted antenna array and a bypass channel for the "air-to-surface" mode. It must be said that now in the West even fourth-generation fighters (not to mention the fifth) are actively supplying more technological advanced radars with active phased antenna arrays, which, despite their high cost, provide higher reliability and efficiency of target detection. It was the new radar with AFAR that Singh proposed as an option for equipping the Su-30SM. However, without specifying a specific station and timing.
At the same time, Jane's believes that issues related to the electronic warfare complex pose an even more difficult challenge, since the large size of the aircraft (in the absence of stealth technology) makes it a convenient target. The aircraft's current electronic warfare kit is a variant of the Russian SAP-518 system, which can be supplemented with an electronic suppression container for group protection of SAP-14 aircraft. "The main purpose of the SAP-518 is the individual protection of the aircraft," said military observer Alexei Leonkov in 2018. - The system works on the principle of a radar detector. That is, it constantly gives out distorted information to the enemy's locators: it reflects the signal with a delay, confuses the measurement of the distance to the object, speed and angular position. This prevents the radar station from detecting targets, determining their parameters and generating the necessary data for weapons systems."
In general, information about Russian electronic warfare systems is contradictory and often of a propaganda nature. It should also be said that in 2017, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for the first time received the newest electronic jamming station SAP-518SM, which is intended for the Su-30SM.
And what about the weapons? Earlier, the Indians had claims to the Russian R-77 missiles. Allegedly, the Su-30MKI, armed with R-77 missiles, could not effectively resist the Pakistani F-16 in February 2019. If the AIM-120 rocket could be launched at a distance of 100 kilometers, then the R-77 could be launched from a distance of no more than 80 kilometers. Whether this is true or not is difficult to say, but it is known that earlier they decided to equip the Su-30MKI with Israeli I-Derby missiles. According to data from open sources, the missile's range is 100 kilometers. By the way, it was chosen as the main air-to-air weapon system for the Indian combat aircraft HAL Tejas.
The Su-30MKI strike armament looks more than solid. Suffice it to recall that recently the first squadron of Su-30MKI, armed with the new supersonic anti-ship missile "Brahmos", entered service with the Indian Air Force. According to the media, the rocket weighs 2.5 tons, its speed is 2.8 times the speed of sound, and the firing range is about 400 kilometers. One Su-30MKI can carry up to three Bramos missiles: any Russian fighter will envy such anti-ship capabilities: even the Su-30SM, even the Su-35S, even the Su-57.
What's next?
As we can see, the Su-30MKI aircraft does not fully meet the requirements of the 21st century, so it is no longer possible to count on new contracts for hundreds of aircraft. However, what is true for Europe and the United States is not always true for less developed regions. Simply put, despite the criticism of the aircraft, it is and will remain one of the most powerful fighters in South Asia for the foreseeable future.
Recall that countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka do not have fifth generation fighters: neither their own nor purchased abroad. At the same time, the total number of Dassault Rafale is not enough for a regional "revolution", although the machines can have their say in a local conflict. By the way, maybe the Indians are right, limiting themselves to 36 "French". To all appearances, neither India, nor Pakistan, nor any other country in the region is interested in a big war.
