The Belarusian Air Drive has obtained a brand new batch of Russian Su-30SM2 fighters, marking the most recent in a number of deliveries since 2019 to considerably improve the post-Soviet state’s aerial warfare capabilities. Commenting on the supply, Deputy Commander of the Belarusian Air Drive and Air Defence Forces, Chief of Aviation Colonel Alexander Belyaev, noticed: “the arrival of latest plane has already turn into an excellent custom: the fleet is being steadily renewed… These plane will quickly endure technical inspection on the air base and, in two weeks at most, will enter on responsibility to defend our beloved homeland within the airspace.” “This isn’t the final batch: new tools will proceed to reach,” he added, describing the Su-30SM2 as “a fighter plane that meets all the necessities for plane of this class.” “Flying it’s a true pleasure,” he concluded.
Belarus beforehand ordered twelve Su-30SM fighters below a $600 million contract, earlier than the phrases of the contact had been altered for the extra succesful Su-30SM2 variant to as a substitute be procured. With the Air Drive reported in August to have obtained the final of the twelve fighters, the supply of additional fighters in December has raised the chance {that a} followup order for additional plane might have been signed. The Su-30SM2 is step by step changing the Soviet-built MiG-29 in forming the spine of the nation’s fighter fleet. Though Belarus beforehand fielded Su-27 air superiority fighters and Su-24M strike fighters inherited from the Soviet Union, these had been phased out of service attributable to their excessive operational prices, with the Su-30SM2’s considerably extra fashionable and upkeep pleasant design making it extra reasonably priced to maintain regardless of its excessive weight. A single Soviet Su-27UB has been introduced again into service to function a coach for the Su-30SM2 fleet.
The Su-30SM’s design included a number of options from cancelled Soviet fighter packages. Loosely primarily based on the Su-27PU heavy interceptor design, the plane used a variety of applied sciences from the cancelled Su-27M and Su-37 air superiority fighters, together with use of the Su-37’s N011M radar, which was one of many first ever electronically scanned array radars built-in onto a fighter, in addition to the Su-27M’s managed canards, AL-31FP engines, and thrust vectoring nozzles. The Su-30SM2 integrates the AL-41F-1S engine which powers the Su-35 air superiority fighter, and has an influence degree and gasoline effectivity extra similar to early fifth era engines such because the American F119 powering the F-22 fighter. The engines present the Su-30SM2 with by far the longest vary of any fighter fielded by a European nation, in addition to by far the best ranges of manoeuvrability attributable to their excessive thrust and three dimensional thrust vectoring capabilities.
The Su-30SM2 variant has been intensively fight examined because it started to enter service in early 2022, with the outbreak of full scale hostilities between Russia and Ukraine simply weeks after it grew to become operational offering alternatives to additional refine operational techniques. Russian state arms export conglomerate Rostec in November 2025 reported: “Plane of this kind have confirmed their effectiveness within the particular army operation. They’ve a report of lots of of destroyed aerial and floor targets, together with Patriot programs.” “Due to its highly effective radar, the Su-30SM2 can ‘see’ farther and extra precisely, which facilitates the crew’s operation. In flip, its superior digital warfare system permits the fighter to successfully counter enemy air-launched weapons,” the report added. The fighter is roughly 70 % as pricey to obtain because the Su-35, whereas being significantly less complicated to take care of and having decrease sustainment prices, making it extremely enticing and in lots of respects more economical.
