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.
