Algeria, a Potential Client for Russia’s New Su-30SM2 Super Sukhoi
Algeria is a potential client for Russia’s New Su-30SM2 ‘Super Sukhoi’, Military Watch magazine published.
The magazine said in a report entitled “Top Five Potential Clients for Russia’s New Su-30SM2 ‘Super Sukhoi’ Upgrade Package: From Vietnam to Algeria”, that since the new “Su-30” enters service in the Russian air regiments, Algeria is one of five countries interested in purchasing it.
“Algeria is the second-largest client for Su-30 fighters from Irkutsk, after deeming them to have a considerably superior performance over the competing French Rafale fighter in testing and deploys over 70 Su-30MKAs which form the backbone of its fleet”, it added.
The magazine explained that with the Algerian Air Force notably having refrained from purchasing the Su-35 despite multiple reports that this was under consideration, upgrading the Su-30MKA fleet with many of the same technologies could provide a much-needed improvement to the fleet’s air to air combat capabilities to compensate.
“Although the Algerian Air Force reportedly may have ordered a squadron of Su-57 fifth-generation fighters, these are not expected to enter service until much later in the decade and will initially only form a single squadron to replace the country’s MiG-25 Foxbat interceptors”.
“Modernising the Su-30 fleet, as in India’s case, would provide compatibility with the K-77M and R-37M as well as the sensors needed to better engage enemy stealth targets. As potential threats from NATO remain a leading concern, ambitious upgrades will ensure the Su-30 fleet remains capable of going head to head with the latest fighter classes deployed by the Western alliance”.
“The Su-30 heavyweight fighter has been by far the most successful derivative of the Soviet Su-27 Flanker air superiority platform on world export markets, with over 550 having been sold abroad and the Russian Air Force and Navy themselves having acquired close to 150 since 2009”.
“The fighter adapted the Su-27 airframe to provide a much higher endurance, new avionics better suited to precision air to ground anti-shipping missions, and a second seat as its standard configuration to accommodate a weapons systems officer. The Su-30 was for over a decade in production in parallel at two factories – the plants at Irkutsk and Komsomolsk-on-Amur – the latter which ceased production at the end of the 2000s to begin manufacturing the more specialised Su-35 air superiority fighter. Irkutsk continues to produce advanced Su-30 variants which incorporate a range of technologies first developed for the Su-35 and Su-37 in the 1990s, providing far superior capabilities for air to air combat than the original Su-30 including thrust-vectoring engines.
The magazine’s report showed that Algeria, India, Vietnam, Malaysia and Belarus are seeking to acquire Russia’s New Su-30SM2 ‘Super Sukhoi’.
