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Home | Update | Latest Issue | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles | FR 8/97 SUKHOI "FLANKER"-FAMILY IS RUSSIAS NO. 1 by Alexander Velovich More than 20 years ago, on a day in May of 1977, Vladimir Ilyushin took the Sukhoi T-10-1 for its first flight from the test center Zhukovski. Since then, the prototype, which did not have a satisfying performance back then, was developed by the design team around Mikhail Simonov into a broad fighter aircraft family. Versions such as the Su-27, Su-30, Su-34, or Su-37 have a good potential to become established on the world market in the next few years, such generating the urgently needed hard currency for the Russian aerospace industry. The analysts of the American Teal Group see a market potential for 500 Sukhois until 2006. Alexander Kotelkin, General Secretary of the Russian defence export agency Rosvooruschenije even sees Sukhoi among the three leading exporters of fighter aircraft. Exports have already been vital for survival in recent years. Russia's own forces had just enough money to pay for "one and a half aircraft per year", as recently stated by ex-General Abrek Ajupow when looking at the Su-34 production. Even the Sukhoi design bureau admits that the Su-37 development would have come to a standstill without the money from China. The available funds made it possible to conduct a 100-flight test program to evaluate the thrust vector control since the Su-37's first flight on April 2, 1996. However, since there are still no funds available from the defence ministry in Moscow, the test aircraft (711) will be used mainly for the support of another important export program in the near future. In December of last year, India ordered 40 Sukhoi Su-30MKI, worth $1,5 billion, which will be up to the current technological standards. Approximately 20 percent of the money will flow into the development of the aircraft which currently only exists in a basic version for the Russian air defence forces. Four of these Su-30PK were delivered from the plant in Irkutsk with an An-124, another four are to follow in June. The Su-30 is based on the training two-seater Su-27UB but has a retractable air refueling probe, a double nose-wheel, along with better avionics to be able to use the aircraft as the leader in a tactical fighter formation. In this configuration, the aircraft can only be loaded with air-to-air missiles. The basic version Su-30MK is capable of carrying several air-to-ground weapons, along with two additional external stores. Infrared sensors and laser target designator are under development and a combined GPS/INS will be integrated into the avionics suite. Eight aircraft of this standard, which includes foreign systems like the cockpit displays, are earmarked for delivery to India in 1998. In 1999, a further dozen aircraft will follow, which are fitted with canards for an improved turning performance. The tests of this Su-30MK (aircraft number 56, Sukhoi designation: T-10-4PMK2) were supposed to have already started in Zhukovski. This aircraft will later probably be equipped with Saturn AL-37F engines and thrust vector nozzles. Supposedly the last twelve Su-30MKI will be delivered to India in this configuration. All other Su-30 are earmarked for the modification. While the plant in Irkutsk is busy with the Su-30, the aerospace production organization in Novosibirsk continues to work on the Su-27IB alias Su-34 alias Su-32FN. This fighter bomber version of the "Flanker" is a significant modification of the basic design with side-by-side seating, designated as the replacement for the Su-24 "Fencer". However, the replacement will not take place that fast since only three test aircraft ("42", "43" and "45" as Su-32FN) and three production aircraft were built so far due to the chronic lack of funds. They are all needed for the test program which will last at least another two years. Delays will especially affect the electronic warfare equipment. Also, it seems that the development of the radar by Leninetz in St. Petersburg has not progressed far. The Su-32-FN which is offered by Sukhoi as a special version for anti-ship and anti-submarine attacks, seems to be in an even earlier development stage. The problems of the Russian aerospace and defence industry are not yet over. Even the initiated restructuring measures will not change that in the short-term. Following the example of Mikojan, Sukhoi was integrated into an aerospace military industry complex (AVPK) in October of last year, which includes the former independent plants in Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Komsomols-na-Amur, as well as, the design bureaus Sukhoi and Beriev (Taganrog). The complex is headed by Alexei Fjordorov from Irkutsk which is not appealing to chief designer Simonow and Nowosibirsk General Director Merkulow. They want to keep their independence. However, they recently failed with an appeal in the highest Russian court. Such internal problems are obviously not helpful for the build-up of a strong company which is necessary to survive on the highly competitive export market. Still, the "Flanker" family has good chances - the aircraft is used as a reference fighter against which western aircraft such as the Eurofighter will have to contest one day. From age 44 of FLUG REVUE 8/97 Home | Update | Latest Issue | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles | FR 8/97 Copyright 1997 by Motor-Presse Stuttgart. All rights reserved. Last updated July 4, 1997 FLUG REVUE, Ubierstr. 83, 53173 Bonn, Germany