Moscow, March 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Defending Russia (http://www.defendingrussia.ru)proudly confirms the delivery of four Russian Su-30SM fighter jets to Kazakhstan. The first batch has been completed as previously announced in February, with a total order of 36 aircraft. Kazakhstan expects this to strengthen its fighter jet inventory.
The Su-30 project (http://defendingrussia.ru/english/Su-30_family) dates back to the Soviet era. In 1988, work officially began on designing an interceptor based on the Su-27UB trainer. Four years later, on April 14, 1992, the first production aircraft successfully took flight. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, mass production stalled, and the Su-30 was mainly used for testing and display at international air shows. The "original" Su-30 was eventually discontinued as engineers sought to unlock the aircraft's full potential. Work on the Su-30MK began in 1992.
In 1996, India decided to purchase 40 Su-30MKIs. The Su-30MKI is vastly different from twin-seat aircraft: its airframe includes canards, is equipped with advanced avionics, and features engines with thrust-vectoring nozzles. On July 1, 1997, the Su-30MKI prototype made its maiden flight. Subsequently, the aircraft entered a modernized manufacturing phase in Belarus and was sold to Angola in 2013. With 272 orders received, the Su-30MKI has now become the backbone of the Indian Air Force.
The Su-30 series also includes the Su-30MKK and Su-30MK2, which were mainly exported to China. The Su-30MKK successfully completed its maiden flight in 1999, and the first aircraft was delivered to the customer by the end of 2000. The Su-30MK2, developed in 2002 as an upgraded version of the Su-30MKK, features more advanced avionics. China purchased a total of 76 Su-30MKKs and 24 Su-30MK2s. Over the past 15 years, over 500 Su-30 series aircraft have been exported to countries including Algeria, Malaysia, Venezuela, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Uganda.
Since 2012, production of the Su-30SM for the Russian Air Force has been ongoing. A contract for 72 aircraft has been signed, and more orders are expected. The Su-30SM, manufactured by the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Production Association, is designed to replace the Su-27UB trainer: 20 Su-30M2s have been ordered, with the first deliveries beginning in 2010.