“Super Flanker”: The Exotic, Su-30SM2 Flanker-H Fighter

By: Warren Gray

Copyright © 2023

“Meet Russia’s Su-30SM2 Fighter: A Two-Seat Su-30SM With The Guts

of An Su-35…The Su-30SM2 is likely the final, Russian-built iteration

of the sprawling family of Flanker heavy fighters…Moscow also plans

to upgrade its roughly 110 Su-30SMs…to the SM2 standard by 2027.”

— Sébastien Roblin, for 19FortyFive, September 14, 2022

The amazing Sukhoi Su-30SM2 Flanker-H, or “Super Flanker,” is the Russian Federation’s very latest and most-exotic, fourth-generation+ jet fighter, a multi-role aircraft for all-weather, air-to-air, and air-interdiction missions. Derived from the earlier Su-27P Flanker-B series, the Su-30SM was created in 1996 as an advanced, two-seat fighter, with digital, fly-by-wire flight controls, thrust-vectoring capability, and movable, forward canards, in an integrated, aerodynamic configuration designed for maximum maneuverability.

The canards, first used on the similar Su-33 Flanker-D naval fighter, not only enhance maneuverability, but also compensate for the heavier, N011M Bars-R (“Leopard”) phased-array radar and mission systems in the nose. Unfortunately, they also contribute to aerodynamic drag, and reduce the top speed from Mach 2 to Mach 1.75, but since most aerial combat takes place at airspeeds below Mach 1, this is not really a detracting factor.

Due to the cumbersome Russian aerospace industry, however, the Su-30SM Flanker-H model did not achieve fully operational status until late 2015. At least 16 of these advanced fighters deployed to Khmeimim Air Base in Latakia, Syria, from September through December 2015, making their combat debut in the Syrian Civil War, where they mostly attacked ground targets with unguided rockets, or escorted other Russian attack aircraft and bombers. One Su-30SM crashed shortly after takeoff on May 3, 2018, killing both crew members.

Equivalent models of the Flanker-H have been exported to India (284 sold) as the Su-30MKI, to Algeria (70) as the Su-30MKA, to Indonesia (11) and communist China (24) as the Su-30MK2, to Malaysia (18) as the Su-30MKM, to Myanmar (6) as the Su-30SME, and to Armenia (4), Belarus (16), and Kazakhstan (15) as the Su-30SM. Russia currently has approximately 91 Su-30SMs in their air force, and 22 more in the navy, with the first four brand-new Su-30SM2 models recently delivered to Russian Naval Aviation at Chernyakhovsk Naval Air Base (directly adjacent to an SA-21B Growler, ultra-long-range, surface-to-air missile battery), in the Kaliningrad exclave region, sandwiched uncomfortably between the NATO nations of Lithuania and Poland.

Su-30SM Flanker-H of Russian Naval Aviation, with AA-10C Alamo missiles. Photo credit: Alex Beltyukov/Airliners.Net

In August 2020, the first contract for upgrades to the modernized, Su-30SM2 standard was signed, with 21 existing Flanker-H aircraft to be updated with more-sophisticated components from the very latest, Su-35S Flanker-E+ fighter. This includes the more-powerful, AL-41F1S Saturn low-bypass, turbofan engines, the N035 Irbis-E (“Snow Leopard”) radar, and the capability to employ KAB-250 laser-guided bombs, Kh-32 cruise missiles, and Kh-59MK2 Ovod (AS-18 Kazoo) stealth cruise missiles, at a unit cost of $66 million per aircraft!

The Su-35 engines produce 16 percent more power, require 20 percent more intake air, use an improved plasma ignition system, and the exhaust nozzles provide 20 degrees of thrust vectoring, versus 15 degrees in the original engines, for enhanced yaw and roll performance. In addition, the improved Irbis-E radar provides long-range scanning up to 240 miles for aerial targets, and the OLS-30 infrared search-and-track set (IRSTS) is replaced by the better OLS-35, which can track up to four aerial targets from 31 to 56 miles away.

This is why the weapon systems officer (WSO) in the rear seat becomes so important, because of the relative sophistication of the avionics systems, as well as advanced navigation and communication systems, and helmet-mounted sighting systems.

The Su-30SM2 Flanker-H is a wicked-looking, cranked-arrow design, with its forward canards resembling a barbed broadhead on a crossbow bolt. Its airframe is manufactured of Russian titanium and high-strength, aluminum alloys, and the exotic configuration is capable of “super-maneuverability,” including the famed, Cobra Maneuver and tailslide, to rapidly decelerate the aircraft, causing any pursuing fighter to overshoot, as well as breaking a Doppler radar-lock, as the relative speed of the aircraft drops below the threshold (“Doppler-notch”) where the signal is detectable to radar.

Russian Air Force Su 30SM Flanker-H overhead view, with six missiles. Photo credit: Vadim Savitsky

Russian Air Force Su-30SMs are primarily based at Domna, 124 miles north of Mongolia, and Millerovo, conveniently located only 11 miles east of the Ukrainian border.

Su-30SMs at Domna Air Base, 10/28/22. Photo credits: GoogleEarth

Su-30SMs at Millerovo Air Base, 9/30/18. Photo credits: GoogleEarth

Russian Naval Aviation Flanker-Hs are painted dark gray, with white noses, as seen below, and have been deployed in small numbers to Chernyakhovsk, Severomorsk-3, Saki, Sevastopol, and Yeysk Naval Air Bases, with the latter three all very close to Ukraine.

Su-30SMs at Chernyakhovsk Naval Air Base in the Kaliningrad (Baltic) region, 5/9/21. Photo credits: GoogleEarth

Su-30SMs at Chernyakhovsk Naval Air Base in the Kaliningrad (Baltic) region, 5/9/21. Photo credits: GoogleEarth

The Su-30SM and SM2 Flanker-H variants are typically armed with a single, highly-accurate, GSh-30-1 30mm cannon in the right wing root, with 150 rounds of ammunition loaded. There are 12 weapon stations beneath the wings, but the “standard” armament seen in recent photographs includes four R-74 (improved AA-11 Archer) heat-seeking missiles under the outer stations, two R-77-1 (improved AA-12 Adder) radar-guided missiles under the inboard wing stations, and a pair of AS-17 or AS-18 cruise missiles on the fuselage stations. They may also carry a wide variety of bombs, rockets, anti-ship missiles, and other optional hardware, including SAP-518SM wingtip, radar-jamming pods.

Russian Air Force Su 30SM Flanker-H, with standard missile armament. Photo credit: military-wiki.com

During the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russia has lost 11 Su-30SMs in combat action, with at least five destroyed on the ground at Millerovo and Saki Air Bases by Ukrainian missile attacks, and most of the others hit by long-range, Ukrainian surface-to-air missiles, such as the SA-10D Grumble. None were shot down in air-to-air engagements, although Russian Su-30SMs and Su-35s shot down a total of seven less-capable, Ukrainian MiG-29S Fulcrum-C and Su-27P Flanker-B jet aircraft, and one large, Mi-14 helicopter.

On January 20, 2022, the first four advanced, Su-30SM2 models were delivered to the 4th Guards Naval Attack Regiment of the Russian Naval Aviation service at Chernyakhovsk Naval Air Base in the Kaliningrad (Baltic) region, identified by the large numerals of Blue 78 through 81 on their sides.

New Sukhoi Su 30SM2 Flanker-H “Blue 78” being refueled over the Mediterranean Sea. Photo credit: Twitter

Eventually, all 110 to 114 remaining Flanker-Hs in the Russian Air Force and Navy will be upgraded to the modernized, Su-30SM2 standard by 2027, increasing commonality of components and weaponry with their frontline, Su-35S Flanker-E+ jet fighters to simplify maintenance procedures, reduce supply and repair costs, and improve the overall sustainability of the current Russian fighter force before the newer, Su-57 Felon stealth fighter enters more widespread service in the near future.

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Author in Russian-made, MiG-29 Fulcrum-A jet fighter, November 1999. Photo by author.

Warren Gray is a retired, U.S. Air Force intelligence officer with experience in joint special operations and counterterrorism. He served in Europe (including Eastern Europe, and with two American fighter squadrons in Germany) and the Middle East (including a stealth fighter squadron in Saudi Arabia), earned Air Force and Navy parachutist wings, four college degrees, including a Master of Aeronautical Science degree, and was a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Intelligence Operations Specialist Course, and the USAF Combat Targeting School. He is currently a published author and historian.