Aircraft & UAVs

Sukhoi Su-30

Also known as
  • Su-30
  • Flanker-C
  • Su-30MKI
  • Sukhoi Su-30MKI
  • Su-30MKK
  • Su-30MK2
  • Su-30SM
  • Sukhoi Su-30SM
  • Su-30SME

The Sukhoi Su-30 is a two-seat, twin-engine multirole fighter family derived from the Su-27. Indian Su-30MKI aircraft are license-built by Hindustan Aeronautics and adapted for BrahMos carriage, while Russian Su-30SM-family aircraft are documented in Syria and over the Black Sea during the Russia-Ukraine War.

Sukhoi Su-30, Twin-engine multirole fighter aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs
Image source: Sukhoi SU-30MKI

Role in Conflicts

2019 India-Pakistan Border Skirmishes
Side
India
Role in conflict
Combat air patrol and interception

IAF fighters including Su-30 MKI were tasked to intercept Pakistan Air Force aircraft on 27 February 2019 during the aerial engagement over Sunderbani and the Line of Control.

2025 India-Pakistan Conflict
Side
India
Role in conflict
Long-range standoff strike

Official Operation Sindoor coverage describes a Su-30 MKI launching BrahMos to destroy hardened aircraft shelters during the 2025 conflict.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Soviet Union; Russia
Built in
RussiaIndia
Type
Twin-engine multirole fighter aircraft
Service note
1990s-present service, including Su-30SM variants in Russian service
Designer
Sukhoi Design Bureau
Designed
Late 1980s development from the Su-27 family
Unit cost
About $50 million for Su-30 cited by Ukrainian Defence Intelligence in 2025
Produced
1990s-present
Number built
More than 600 Su-30 family aircraft reported across variants

Specifications

Crew
2
Maximum takeoff weight
34,000 kg for Su-30SME
Combat payload
Up to 8,000 kg on 12 external hardpoints
External hardpoints
12
Maximum speed
Mach 1.75
Flight range
3,000 km, or 5,600 km with refueling
Service ceiling
16,100 m
Engines
Two AL-31FP turbofan engines
Armament
Air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, anti-ship and anti-radar missiles, guided and unguided bombs, rockets, and a built-in autocannon
Variant and Armament Context

The most clearly documented Su-30 branches connect national configurations to different strike and air-superiority roles.

BranchRoleDocumented context
Su-30MKIIndian long-range multirole fighterHAL describes the aircraft as a two-seat multirole long-range platform, and Indian/BrahMos sources document its adaptation for air-launched BrahMos use.
Su-30SM / Su-30SMERussian service and export branchUAC and Rosoboronexport describe the Su-30SME export configuration, while conflict-use sources document Su-30SM aircraft in Syria and over the Black Sea.
Su-30 family loadoutAir-to-air and strike carriageSpecification sources list air-to-air, air-to-surface, anti-ship, anti-radar, guided and unguided weapons, rockets, and a built-in cannon.
Air-Launched Munitions

Indian Su-30MKI aircraft are adapted to launch the air-launched BrahMos variant.

Launched itemItem typeLaunch evidence
BrahMos, Supersonic anti-ship and land-attack cruise missile, MunitionsBrahMosSupersonic cruise missile

BrahMos Aerospace describes the air-launched BrahMos for the Indian Air Force's frontline Sukhoi-30MKI platform, and PIB reported successful firings from Su-30MKI aircraft.

Sources: Operation Sindoor: Victory Through Jointness, BrahMos Air Launch System, PIB Su-30MKI BrahMos Test Fire 2022

Timeline

Sukhoi Su-30 Key Events

  1. First HAL-built Su-30MKI delivered

    HAL records the first HAL-built Su-30MKI delivery to the Indian Air Force on 21 Mar 05, anchoring India's license-production branch.

    Sources: Glimpses of Traversed Path

  2. Russian Su-30SM identified in Syria

    Open-source imagery analysis identified Russian Su-30SM aircraft deployed near Latakia during Russia's 2015 intervention in Syria.

    Sources: Russian SU-30SM in Syria, not SU-27

  3. Su-30MKI tasked over the Line of Control

    India's official account says IAF fighters including Su-30MKI aircraft were tasked to intercept Pakistan Air Force aircraft during the 27 February 2019 aerial engagement.

    Sources: Statements by Indian Armed Forces on Prevailing Security Situation

  4. Extended-range BrahMos fired from Su-30MKI

    PIB reported a successful extended-range BrahMos firing from a Su-30MKI aircraft, reinforcing the platform's standoff strike role.

    Sources: PIB Su-30MKI BrahMos Test Fire 2022

  5. Russian Su-30 destroyed near Novorossiysk

    Ukraine's Defence Intelligence reported that a Magura naval drone launched a missile that destroyed a Russian Su-30 near Novorossiysk.

    Sources: World First: Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Destroys russian Su-30 Fighter Jet with a Sea Drone Strike

Media

Sukhoi Su-30 Videos

Sukhoi Su-30 Images

Sukhoi Su-30, Twin-engine multirole fighter aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs - view 1
Source: Su-30MKI Armed with Air-Launched BrahMos Image
Sukhoi Su-30, Twin-engine multirole fighter aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs - view 2
Source: Russian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30SM Image
Related Weapon Systems
Su-27, Twin-engine air-superiority fighter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsSu-27Twin-engine air-superiority fighterThe Su-27, NATO reporting name Flanker, is a Soviet-designed twin-engine air-superiority fighter built around long range, high speed, and heavy air-to-air armament. Its combat record extends from Abkhazia and the 1998 Eritrean-Ethiopian War to Angola, Tigray, and the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, where operators used it for air superiority, air-to-air combat, and adapted strike missions that now include Western precision and anti-radiation munitions.
Su-25, Ground-attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsSu-25Ground-attack aircraftThe Su-25 is a Soviet-designed armored close air support aircraft built for low-level battlefield strike, rough-field operation, and heavy stores carriage. Developed by Sukhoi and produced in Soviet, Russian, and Georgian factories, the twin-engine subsonic jet combines a protected cockpit, internal 30 mm cannon, and multiple pylons for rockets, bombs, missiles, and adapted guided weapons, with documented use from Afghanistan and Iraq to Darfur, Syria, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Ukraine.
Su-22 fighter-bomber, Variable-sweep-wing fighter-bomber / ground-attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsSu-22 fighter-bomberVariable-sweep-wing fighter-bomber / ground-attack aircraftThe Su-22 is the export member of Sukhoi's Su-17 Fitter family, a Soviet variable-sweep fighter-bomber built for low-level strike, ground attack, and battlefield interdiction. Direct conflict records on this page emphasize documented combat use and losses: Libyan Su-22s over the Gulf of Sidra, an Azerbaijani Su-22 loss in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, Iraqi Su-22/Fitter chemical-attack delivery in the Iran-Iraq War, Desert Storm losses, Peruvian Cenepa War air-support missions, and Syrian government bombing near Tabqah in 2017.

Sources

Su-30SMEPublisher: United Aircraft Corporation | Note: Official manufacturer-family page supporting Su-30SME role, avionics, payload, dimensions, engines, range, speed, and hardpoint specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Su-30SME Multirole Supermaneuverable FighterPublisher: Rosoboronexport | Note: Supports official export background and specifications including crew, maximum takeoff weight, payload, speed, ceiling, range, and mission roles. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Statements by Indian Armed Forces on Prevailing Security SituationPublisher: Press Information Bureau, Government of India | Note: 2019 India-Pakistan Border Skirmishes direct use: IAF fighters including Su-30 MKI were tasked to intercept Pakistan Air Force aircraft on 27 February 2019. | Accessed: 2026-06-26Operation Sindoor: Victory Through JointnessPublisher: Press Information Bureau, Government of India | Note: 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict direct use: PIB describes a Su-30 MKI launching BrahMos to destroy hardened aircraft shelters during Operation Sindoor. | Accessed: 2026-06-26PIB Su-30MKI BrahMos Test Fire 2022Publisher: Press Information Bureau, Government of India | Note: Supports direct relationship background: PIB reported successful BrahMos firings from Su-30 MKI aircraft. | Accessed: 2026-06-28BrahMos Air Launch SystemPublisher: BrahMos Aerospace | Note: Supports direct relationship background: BrahMos is configured for air launch from the Su-30MKI platform. | Accessed: 2026-06-28World First: Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Destroys russian Su-30 Fighter Jet with a Sea Drone StrikePublisher: Defence Intelligence of Ukraine | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct use, documenting a Russian Su-30 used by Russian forces and destroyed near Novorossiysk on May 2, 2025 by a missile launched from a Magura naval drone platform. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Ukraine War Briefing: Maritime Drone Shoots Down Russian Fighter Jet for First Time, Says KyivPublisher: The Guardian | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct use, reporting a Russian Su-30 used by Russian forces and shot down near Novorossiysk after Ukraine said a military intelligence maritime drone engaged the aircraft. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Russian Su-30SM Flanker Crashes In Black SeaPublisher: The War Zone | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct use, reporting Su-30SM aircraft used by Russian forces over the Black Sea, including a Russian Naval Aviation aircraft attempting to attack an oil platform and broader Russian airpower use against Ukrainian boats. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Russian SU-30SM in Syria, not SU-27Publisher: Bellingcat | Note: Supports 2011 Syrian Civil War direct fielding, identifying Russian Su-30SM aircraft fielded by Russian forces at al-Assad International Airport near Latakia in September 2015. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Russian RoulettePublisher: Air & Space Forces Magazine | Note: Supports 2011 Syrian Civil War direct fielding, describing Su-30SM air-superiority aircraft fielded by Russian forces in Russia's Syria deployment. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Russian Warplanes In SyriaPublisher: CBS News | Note: Supports 2011 Syrian Civil War direct use, reporting Su-30SM fighters used by Russian forces for air strikes against anti-regime armed groups from a Russian base in northwest Syria. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Sukhoi SU-30MKIPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the primary Su-30MKI image, listed under CC BY-SA 2.0 licensing. | Accessed: 2026-06-26Su-30MKI Armed with Air-Launched BrahMos ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for a Su-30MKI carrying an air-launched BrahMos missile. | Accessed: 2026-06-26Russian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30SM ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for a Russian Air Force Su-30SM in flight. | Accessed: 2026-06-30SU-30 MKIPublisher: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited | Note: Supports the Su-30MKI product background as a twin-seater, multirole, long-range fighter / bomber / air-superiority aircraft. | Accessed: 2026-06-26Glimpses of Traversed PathPublisher: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited | Note: Supports the first HAL-built Su-30MKI delivery to the Indian Air Force on 21 Mar 05 and license-production context. | Accessed: 2026-06-26