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Malaysian SU-30MKM
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On May 24/07, a rollout and demonstration ceremony was held for the first 2 Su-30MKM fighters for the Royal Malaysan Airforce (RMAF) at Russia’s Irkutsk Aviation plant. Malaysia flies the F/A-18D Hornet, and was offered Boeing’s F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, but chose the SU-30MKM instead. Their fighter fleet will now consist of R/F-5E/F Tiger IIs (to be phased out), F/A-18D Hornets, MiG-29 Fulcrums (until 2010), and SU-30MKMs. The results from their internal training air combat exercises would be interesting, to say the least.

The original $900 million contract was signed with Irkut Corp. in August 2003, and involves 18 SU-30MKMs. Canards, stabilizers and fins will be manufactured by India’s HAL Nasik under a $25-30 million value subcontract. According to the contracts in place, Irkut was to deliver all aircraft by the end of 2008, but that hasn’t happened yet. Delivery of the final batch is ongoing.

The SU-30MKM is an advanced variant, whose performance involves considerable improvements over SU-30MK/MKK fighters. Malaysia also hopes its maintenance will be an improvement over the MiG-29Ns it has to phase out – and may be about to turn to China for help…

• The SU-30MKM
• The Malaysia Deal: Offsets & Updates [updated]
• Additional Readings

The SU-30MKM

COPE India 2004:
SU-30K, F-15C, Mirage 2000
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The SU-30MKM (Modernizirovannyi Kommercheskiy Malaysia – Modernised Export Malaysia) is strongly similar to India’s SU-30MKI. Like its Indian counterpart, the SU-30MKM is a substantial advance upon the original SU-30K export version, maintaining much of basic airframe but incorporating a number of advances from the SU-35/SU-37 project.

The SU-30MKI/M can legitimately claim super-maneuverability via digital fly-by-wire, canards, and 2 thrust vectoring Lyulka AL-31FP engines producing 27,500 lb thrust each with afterburners. This gives them an edge in close-in fights, allowing the pilot to rapidly point the plane at potential targets to draw them within the AA-11/R-73 Archer’s wide infared seeker cone, then launch and quickly change energy state and direction. SU-27/30s have become somewhat famous at international airshows for their unique maneuvers, and the MKI/MKM’s additions take that capability to new levels. Sukhoi’s former general designer Mikhail Simonov has reportedly said that:

“We even made a corkscrew spin a controllable manoeuvre – the pilot can leave it at any moment by a single motion of the stick that engages thrust-vectoring and aerodynamic surfaces.”

For longer range aerial combat, the SU-30 MKM also bears the NIIP N011M phased array radar system that can officially track up to 15 targets and simultaneously engage 4. Their standard aerial weapon for beyond visual range engagements is the AA-12/R-77, but they can also carry infared-guided AA-10s that provide no advance lock-on warning, and could even be equipped with long-range “AWACS-killer” missiles the Russians have developed.

SU-30s are fully multi-role, with strong ground attack capabilities if required. The SU-30MKM is no exception, and its Damocles targeting pod adds to that capability. For strike missions, it can carry large (up to 8,000 kg/ 17,650 lb) and diverse weapon loads over a very good unrefueled radius (more than 700 nm).

F-18F hits barrier
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Many observers consider the SU-30MKI/M to be superior to all US aircraft except the F-22A Raptor; this would include the Boeing Super Hornet it beat for the Malaysian order, as well as the new F-15SGs bought recently by neighboring Singapore.

The main difference between the MKI and MKM versions is the replacement of Indian and Israeli avionics, ECM, and LITENING pods with Russian, French and South African equipment. This includes original Russian equipment, Thales of France’s HUD, NAVFLIR, and Damocles surveillance and targeting pod; Avitronics South Africa missile approach warning sensors and laser warning sensors. Integration of all the avionics systems is carried out with active participation of Su-30MKM Project Team, which includes RMAF officers and is based in Moscow.

India’s SU-30MKI Mk3 will also be equipped with an on-board health-and-usage monitoring system (HUMS) from South Africa’s Aerospace Monitoring And Systems (Pty) Ltd (AMS), to provide hands-off monitoring of its various components. There is no announced word on whether the Malaysian SU-30MKMs will be equipped with a similar system.

The Malaysia Deal: Offsets & Updates

Flanker customers
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As is often the case in these deals, there were offsets involved. Some are industrial, including a service center for the aircraft in Malaysia, but one offset was especially interesting. According to Victor Komardin, Deputy Director General of FSUE Rosoboronexport:

”...the offset clause of the Contract with Malaysia envisages the on-site setup of the Service center for the Russian-made aircraft as well as the assistance in promoting the Malaysian national space program. In autumn 2007 the first Malaysian cosmonaut is due to visit the International Space Station as a member of the 16th space crew.”

And it was so, as orders progressed…

Malaysian SU-30MKM
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Nov 6/09: Malaysia’s national Bernama news service reports that Malaysia may be looking to China for maintenance help with its SU-30 fleet. Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) chief Jeneral Datuk Seri Rodzali Daud was quoted as saying that:

“China had risen to become the superpower of the region and is advanced in its technology as well and our relationship with China is getting better and better…. They can help us in many areas, like for parts and maintenance of the SU-30. In fact, Malaysia is also looking into some of the Chinese military products.”

Russia’s maintenance performance, and its maintenance model of shipping parts to and from Russia rather than setting up local facilities, has created problems for several customers. If Malaysia responds by giving China and Chinese firms a significant role in servicing its SU-30MKM fleet, the Russians will have created a problem for themselves as well.

While China also operates SU-30s, they are much less advanced models, without the canard wings, thrust vectoring, or improved electronics. Chinese theft of Russian designs has made the Russians much less eager to sell them more advanced equipment, but collaboration with Malaysia on SU-30MKM maintenance could open a different door for industrial espionage. Most military sales have terms and conditions designed to prevent this sort of thing, but the key lies in management and enforcement.

Oct 28/09: Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says that Malaysia’s MiG-29Ns will be phased out early, due to their high maintenance costs. The ministry intends to immediately reduce its fleet to 10 MiG-29Ns for airspace defence (something that may simply ratify existing operational numbers), which would decline further to 6 in 2010. The jets will be phased out at the end of 2010. From The Malaysia Star:

“With this, the Government would save RM260mil [about $76.1 million] a year in maintenance costs and the sum could be used to maintain other aircraft in the Royal Malaysian Air Force inventory…. [Zahid said that] Malaysia bought the [18] MiG[-29Ns] at a relatively low price but later, the RMAF had to contend with higher expenses in spare part replacement and maintenence work…. Each MiG also needed to undergo preventive and restoration work which cost RM10mil and RM7mil [$2-3 million] for engine overhaul every year after it completed a flight time of between 1,000 hours and 4,000 hours, he said. Zahid said the cost of maintaining the MiGs was also high as the jets needed to be sent to Russia for overhaul.”

The SU-30MKMs will take the MiGs’ place initially, and with Malaysia’s F/A-18Ds aging in place, a competition may be in the works for a new set of lighter interceptors if Malaysia’s recovery continues. Zahid mentioned the possibility of buying from America (likely the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, which was offered in the SU-30MKM competition), Britain (Eurofighter), France (Rafale), or Sweden (JAS-39 Gripen). Malaysia’s neighbors in Australia will soon induct F/A-18F Super Hornets into service, and Thailand has begun receiving JAS-39C/D Gripens. Russia appears to have been pointedly excluded from that list, and buying more SU-30MKMs does not seem to be an active option at this time.

Aug 12/09: Irkut corp. announces that the first 2 Su-30MKMs from the last batch of 6 have been handed over to Malaysia, raising deliveries to 14. The remaining four fighters are expected to arrive soon.

May 29/09: Jane’s Defence Weekly reports that:

“Malaysia has yet to take delivery of its final six Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighters…. The six aircraft are ready for delivery, local industry sources told Jane’s , but Malaysia is refusing to accept them until Sukhoi fixes integration problems with the avionics on 12 Su-30MKMs that have already been delivered.”

May 29/09: The Malaysia Insider quotes the Chief of Air Force Jen Datuk Seri Azizan Ariffin, who says that

“We have already received 12 such aircraft and the remaining six are expected to arrive by year end.”

March 5/08: Vietnam’s News Agency reports that Russia has added 4 more SU-30MKMs to the 6 delivered in 2007. Defense Aerospace report.

RMAF SU-30MKM
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Oct 10/07: The Soyuz-FG space rocket launches the Soyuz TMA-11 transport manned spacecraft (TMS) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The crew of the 16th Expedition to the International Space Station (ISS) includes: Soyuz TMA commander, flight engineer of Expedition 16, Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center mission specialist Yuri Malenchenko (Russia), NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson (US) and Malaysian cosmonaut (called angksawan at home), orthopedic surgeon at a university hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor. Rosoboronexport:

“This day will go down in the national history of Malaysia as an equally significant event as the day of 12 April 1961 went down in the history of our country…. It is planned that the Malaysian cosmonaut will return to Earth together with the Expedition 15 crew consisting of Russian cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov…. The flight of the Malaysian cosmonaut became a reality owing to a contract between Rosoboronexport and Malaysia for the purchase of 18 Su-30MKM combat planes for the Royal Air Force of this country. Under the contract signed as early as 2003, Rosoboronexport undertook a package of offset commitments, including training and launch to the ISS of a Malaysian cosmonaut.”

May 24/07: The first 2 serially produced RMAF Su-30MKM fighters are rolled out and demonstrated at the Irkutsk Aviation plant. The ceremony was attended by a high-ranking delegation of the Malaysian Defence Ministry and the RMAF, top management of Russia’s Rosoboronexport weapons export agency, management from the Russian aircraft design and production agencies, and a large number of media representatives. Irkut release

August 2003: During the course of President Vladimir Putin’s official visit to Malaysia, the $900 million contract to supply 18 Su-30MKM aircraft is signed.

2003: Sukhoi’s Su-30??? is selected by the RMAF over the other finalist, Boeing’s F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet. At this point, the RMAF’s main fighters are Boeing F/A-18 C/D Hornets, and Russian MiG-29s from RAC MiG.

Additional Readings

• Vayu-Sena – Irkut/HAL Su-30MKI. The best single source we’ve found.

• Sukhoi – SU-30MK: Historical Background

• MILAVIA – Sukhoi Su-30 Multi-Role Flanker

• Air Power Australia – Sukhoi Flankers: The Shifting Balance of Regional Air Power. Includes program history, details, regional procurement notes, and analysis of the SU-30 family’s current capabilities and planned/likely future upgrades. It concludes with a look at how the F-35 Lightning II will stack up.

• Vayu Sena (April 2002) – An Interview with Mikhail Simonov (Sukhoi’s former general designer). Very interesting comments re: Russian design philosophy, and some of the maneuvers the SU-27/30 family can perform.