Russian Air Force Begins Large-Scale Upgrade of Combat Aircraft

The Russian Air Force has launched a short-term combat aircraft upgrade program. Commander-in-Chief Air Force General Anatoly Kornukov told Show News that the aircraft industry is completing the conversion of the first five aircraft-two Su-27s and three Su-30s-into "4th+ generation" planes. An upgraded Su-27UBM and Su-30KN have already been handed over to air force institutes for flight tests.

According to Kornukov, before the end of 2001 the Russian air force plans to adopt between six and eight Su-27UMB multi-role fighters and a similar number of Su-30KNs. The total number of aircraft upgraded this year could reach 20. From 2002, between 70 and 80 aircraft per year are to be upgraded at the air force's aircraft repair plants. To fund the program, the air force will allocate most of its budget, at least until 2005.

As a basic upgrade variant, the air force has selected a so-called "Board 302 concept" as the most cost-effective solution. It was developed by the Irkutsk Aircraft Production Association (IAPO) together with the Sukhoi Design Bureau and the St. Petersburg-based Unified Aircraft Instrument Making Consortium, Kornukov said. This version will allow the air force, at minimal cost, to convert its Su-27/Su-30 interceptor fleet into multi-role fighters with enhanced combat capabilities against both air and ground targets. What's more, the Su-27UBM and Su-30KN will turn virtually into aerial reconnaissance/strike complexes that will not only be able to strike ground and surface targets with high-precision weapons, but also serve as air command posts relaying data to ground or naval forces.

Board 302 upgrade enables the aircraft to retain its standard capabilities and add more. In particular, with introduction of an additional channel into the armament control system, the Su-30KN will be able to attack ground and naval targets with high-precision guided weapons, be they air-to-surface missiles or guided aerial bombs.

The upgrade is relatively inexpensive at between $500,000 and $1 million per aircraft, and requires no expensive redesign of onboard equipment or integration of new cockpit displays. The new equipment can be quickly installed in line units or at air force repair plants.