Kazakhstan has just received six new Su-30SM multirole fighters from the Irkutsk Aviation Plant of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation. They replace the older Soviet-era MiG-29 fighters, which have been decommissioned. This is in addition to the 18 aircraft received earlier under different contracts, bringing the total to 29 Su-30SM fighters in the Kazakhstani Air Force. One aircraft was lost in an accident in 2023.
After Astana decided to retire the Soviet-era MiG-29 and MiG-31, there was a buzz that the French Dassault Rafale could be a contender. Dassault Aviation had reportedly been wooing the two Central Asian nations, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
It had been a key issue during Emmanuel Macron’s visits to the two nations last November. The Rafale was being promoted to replace Kazakh MiG-27 strike fighters and Uzbek Su-27 air superiority fighters. The French publication La Tribune had written about the potential of such a sale, but Kazakhstan had denied such plans.
The plan for these new acquisitions was formally unveiled on 30 November 2023, when Kazakhstan’s Deputy Commander in Chief of the Air Defence and head of the main armaments department, Yerzhan Nildibayev, stated that his country had chosen to acquire Russian Su-30SM fighters over a competing offer from France. They clearly wanted additional Russian-made Su-30SM fighters already in their inventory.
Uzbek & Kazakh Air Forces’ Fighter Inventory
The Kazakh Air Force currently has 24 Su-27s, 43 Su-30s, 14 MiG-29s, 31 MiG-31s, and 14 Su-25s. The Uzbekistan Air Forces’ current fighter aircraft inventory includes 38 MiG-29s, 13 Su-25s, and Su-27s. Clearly, the air forces are Soviet/Russia-centric.
Kazakhstan-Russia Relations
Kazakhstan and Russia are both founding members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). They are also part of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Together with Belarus, they founded the Eurasian Economic Union.
In recent years, Kazakhstan has attempted to balance ties between both sides by selling petroleum and natural gas to its northern neighbor at artificially low prices, allowing heavy investment from Russian businesses, and concluding an agreement over the Baikonur Cosmodrome, while simultaneously assisting the West in the War on Terror.
88 percent of Kazakhs support closer relations with Russia. However, a larger percentage were against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine than those in favor.
Sukhoi Su-30SM
Su-30SM (Flanker-H) was a specialized version of the thrust-vectoring Indian Air Force’s Su-30MKI. Foreign equipment was replaced with Russian. The ‘SM’ designation stands for ‘Serial Modernized.’ Su-30SME is the export version of the Su-30SM with upgraded Russian systems.
It can perform a wide range of missions, including air superiority, ground attack, and maritime strike operations. Su-30SM was inducted into Russian service in 2013. Su-30s are produced at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant. By the end of 2015, the 31st Fighter Aviation Regiment, the last aviation regiment of the Russian Aerospace Forces that operated Soviet-made MiG-29A/UBs, was fully rearmed with about twenty new Su-30SM fighters.
The Su-30SM attained full operational capability (FOC) in January 2018. Russian Aerospace Forces currently have around 100 Su-30SMs, and Russian Naval Aviation has 34 Su-30SMs in inventory.
Its large size allows it to carry a substantial payload. It maintains high maneuverability because the large wings generate significant lift, and the aircraft has canard controls coupled with thrust vectoring engines, which give high rates of turn and agility.
The two AL-31FP afterburning turbofan engines, with 74.5 kN dry thrust each and 122.58 kN with the afterburner, give it high thrust/weight and also high sustained rates of turn. Interestingly, India’s Su-30MKI was the first Su-30 family member to feature thrust vectoring control (TVC) and canards.
The Su-30SM is equipped with the N011M Bars radar, which has a phased array antenna with a maximum detection range of 400 km. It can carry 8,000 kg of external stores. The armament includes the R-77 and R-73 air-to-air missiles, the Kh-29 and Kh-31 air-to-ground missiles, and a variety of guided and unguided bombs. The maximum unrefuelled operational range on internal fuel is approximately 3,000 kilometers, which gets extended with aerial refueling.
The Su-30SM has the OLS-30 infrared search and track (IRST) system, electronic countermeasures (ECM), and a laser rangefinder. For electronic warfare, two RTU 518-PSM Self-Protection Jamming Pods can be fitted on the wing tips.
Myanmar Air Force has between 8 and 10 Su-30SMEs. In March 2021, Armenia confirmed having bought Su-30SM fighters without a missile package from Russia. Armenian and Belarusian Air Forces have 4 Su-30SMs each in inventory, and Belarus has 12 on order. Iran announced that the country intends to buy an undisclosed number of Su-30SM fighters.
The Su-30SM2 Variant
The latest variant of the family is the Su-30SM2s, which has just begun entering the Russian Aerospace Forces. Russia’s latest R-37M missile is only on the SM2 variant.
The aircraft has the N035 Irbis radar and AL-41F1S engines of the Su-35S. The aim is to standardize and reduce the operational costs of the two variants. The aircraft’s armament will also be enhanced with the new KAB-250 aerial bombs and Kh-59MK2 stealth cruise missiles.
It is planned to modernize all Russia’s Su-30SMs to the SM2 standard. Russian Aerospace Forces already have 20 Su-30M2, and many more are on order. The Russian Naval Aviation was signed for 21 Su-30SM2 aircraft.
Operational Engagements Of Su-30SM
In September 2015, Russia deployed at least Su-30SM fighters for the first time to Bassel Al-Assad International Airport in Latakia, Syria. In late December 2015, 16 Su-30SMs were at Khmeimim Air Base. They acted as aerial escorts and also provided target illumination for bombers launching airstrikes against rebel groups. Later, they engaged in air-to-ground missions.
Russian Su-30SM and Su-35 fighters were used for air superiority missions during the Ukraine war and have claimed eight air-to-air victories. According to Western sources, Russia lost six Su-30SMs in the air and five on the ground. Some claim the figures are exaggerated.
Dassault Rafale
The Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multi-role fighter aircraft. It is intended to perform air supremacy, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strikes, anti-ship strikes, and nuclear deterrence missions. This ‘omni-role’ platform is a 4.5+ generation aircraft.
The technology demonstrator first flew in July 1986. It was almost entirely built by one country, by major French defense contractors, such as Dassault, Thales, and Safran. The aircraft has digital fly-by-wire and full computerized canard controls.
The Rafale is fitted with two Snecma M88 engines, each capable of 75 kN with afterburners. A thrust vectoring variant of the engine designated M88-3D has also been considered.
The aircraft has the RBE2 AA active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar (200 km range), the SPECTRA integrated EW suite, the optronic secteur frontal infra-red search and track (IRST) sensor, and direct voice input. It has front-hemisphere stealth.
Nearly 300 have been built. The aircraft on order or being operated include the French Air and Space Force (234), French Navy (46), and air forces of Egypt (54), India (36), Qatar (24), Greece (24), and Croatia (12). Both Indonesia (42) and the United Arab Emirates (80 F4) have placed orders.
Serbia signed for 12 aircraft in August 2024. The Indian Navy is a contender. The Rafale is considered one of the most advanced and capable 4.5+ generation warplanes in the world. It has been used in combat over Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, Iraq and Syria.
The Rafale has been designed with an open software architecture that facilitates straightforward upgrades. Indian Air Force (IAF) has the F3R standard. The standard includes the integration of the MBDA Meteor BVR missile, among other weapons and avionics upgrades. F4-standard aircraft are being delivered to French armed forces starting in 2023.
The design received radar and sensor upgrades that facilitate the detection of airborne stealth targets at long range and are more effective in network-centric warfare. Development work is on for the F5 standard, which is expected to be introduced around 2027.
The Rafale is planned to be the French Air and Space Force’s primary combat aircraft until at least 2040. At one stage, French officials were reportedly considering equipping the Rafale to launch miniaturized satellites. Rafale-M is the carrier variant and it can take off using a ski-jump with no modifications.
The Rafale is typically outfitted with 14 hard points (only 13 on the Rafale M version), five of which are suitable for heavy armament. The standard armament includes the Meteor and MICA missiles, SCALP EG cruise missiles, and AASM Hammer air-to-surface missiles.
Comparison SU-30 SM & Rafale
| Parameter | SU-30 SM | Rafale |
| Length | 21.935 m | 15.27 m |
| Wingspan | 14.7 m | 10.90 m |
| Wing area | 62 sq. m | 45.7 sq. m |
| Empty weight | 17,700 kg | 10,300 kg |
| Max takeoff weight | 34,500 kg | 24,500 kg |
| Internal Fuel | 9,400 kg | 4,700 kg |
| Power plant | 2 × Saturn AL-31FL/FP (122.58 kN each with afterburner) | 2 × Snecma M88-4e (75 kN each with afterburner) |
| Max Combat Range | 3,000 km | 1,850 km |
| Thrust/weight | 0.86 with full internal fuel | 0.988 |
| Hard Points | 12 | 14 |
| Max External Load | 8,000 kg | 9,500 kg |
| Radar | Bars N011M | Thales RBE2-AA AESA radar |
Advantage Rafale
Rafale has a clear technology advantage in its radar, EW suite, and Meteor missiles. Russian spare supplies have been traditionally slower and mired in Soviet-era procedures.
Therefore, Russian aircraft fleet serviceability is often lower. On the other hand, Western countries are very particular and impose end-use restrictions and even sanctions if one does not tow their line. Luckily, France has been much more business-like and does not impose such geopolitical curbs or restrictions.
Why Kazakhstan Chose Sukhoi 30 Over Rafale
Kazakh aviators hold the Su-30SM fighter jets in high regard, especially because of their significant multi-role capability. Of course, they have not been exposed to Western aircraft. The Su-30SMs are the top-end aircraft in their inventory and are deployed at strategically key airbases at Shymkent and Karaganda.
Kazakh Defence Ministry had planned to buy ten more Su-30SMs by 2023-2024, citing their superior “quality-price” ratio compared to the French Rafale. Also the advantage of continuing with the already in service aircraft, rather than create another fleet that could add to logistics complexities. A new aircraft type would mean new infrastructure, fresh training, spare parts, and weapons.
To complement the Su-30s, the backbone of the Kazakh fleet are two squadrons of the 32 MiG-31 interceptors, which have much longer engagement ranges and significantly larger radars than the Su-30.
Kazakhstan’s decision to select the Su-30SM over the Rafale followed a similar decision by Algeria in the mid-2000s when the French aircraft was similarly strongly marketed. The Su-30SM is quite similar to Algeria’s Su-30MKA. Both have been produced at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant and borrow heavily from the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Su-30MKI ‘4th-plus generation’ fighter.
Kazakhstan is the 9th largest country in the world. The Su-30, being a larger heavyweight fighter, can cover a far wider area, while the Rafale has a relatively good range for a lightweight fighter. For Kazakhstan, Russian and Soviet equipment has a compatibility advantage with existing aircraft and ground-based systems and networks.
The Su-30SM is much cheaper to acquire, although it has much higher long-term maintenance costs. Rafale does have a much better EW suite and AESA radar, although the SU-30 radar has a greater range. Rafale’s Meteor missile is a big plus, but Russia could soon start exporting the R-37M, giving it a big advantage.
Russia and Kazakhstan are members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Although the organization is not very active, Russia did come in to support Kazakhstan on request in January 2022 when the local forces were countering a short-lived Turkish-backed anti-government unrest in the country.
Interestingly Kazakhstan has remained neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war.
- Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retired) is an Indian Air Force veteran fighter test pilot and former Director-General of the Center for Air Power Studies in New Delhi. He has been decorated with gallantry and distinguished service medals while serving in the IAF for 40 years.
- He tweets @Chopsyturvey
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