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Key Points and Summary: Ukraine continues to expose weaknesses in the Russian Air Force, recently destroying a Su-30 fighter jet on the ground in Krymsk and previously shooting down Su-30SM variants.

-The Su-30SM, a modernized fourth-generation multirole fighter with advanced avionics, sensors, and MACH 2 speeds, has underperformed in Ukraine.

-Despite its $50 million price tag and advanced capabilities, it has suffered losses to Ukrainian air defenses, including MANPADs. Russia’s failure to achieve air superiority highlights poor tactics and operational planning.

-These setbacks demand a reassessment of Russian air operations as the Su-30 variants struggle to make a decisive impact in the conflict.

Russian Su-30s Destroyed on the Ground and In-Air

The Ukrainians have done it again. They used deep missile strike capabilities to catch the Russians napping. Ukrainian news sources claim that the country’s rocket forces destroyed one of Russia’s best fighters on the ground on December 13. The video showed a Russian Su-30 in flames. This incident is another embarrassment to the Russian Air Force, who can’t seem to catch a break. Russia promised air dominance during the war in Ukraine, and the Su-30 was supposed to be a significant factor in winning the air war against Kyiv’s air force. Now, the Russians have lost yet another fighter.

The incident happened in Krymsk, a city in the Krasnodar region near Crimea. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry claims it has destroyed a whopping 369 enemy aircraft since the war began almost three years ago. The number is difficult to confirm and likely exaggerated for propaganda effect, but even if the Ukrainians have knocked out half of that stated total, it is still impressive.

Su-30 is a Fourth-Generation Fighter that Was Expected to Dominate

The Su-30 is the backbone of the Russian Air Force. It is often compared to the F-16 or F-15, so it is a non-stealth fourth-generation fighter. This airplane was supposed to make mincemeat out of the Ukrainian air force and that hasn’t happened.

The Su-30 is a multirole all-weather fighter. The medium-sized warbird has two seats and two engines. The Russian Air Force had around 130 Su-30s in service before the war. The Su-30 has several variants that have improved performance over the years. There is the Su-30M, the Su-30MK, and the Su-30SM. 

The Su-30SM Has a Huge Mission Set

“The multirole Su-30SM can be deployed in counter-air strikes, counter-land and counter-sea missions. It can conduct electronic counter-countermeasures and early warning tasks. The aircraft also acts as a command-and-control platform within a fleet of combat aircraft performing joint missions,” according to Airforce-Technology.com.

Su-30SM2. Image Credit: YouTube Screenshot.

That description may have overstated the Su-30SM’s efficacy over Ukraine and Russia during the war. In September, Ukrainian intelligence sources claimed the military shot down the Su-30SM over the Black Sea with a shoulder-fired missile launcher – likely a Stinger MANPAD.

The Su-30SM is not a cheap jet. It cost around $50 million, which excited the Ukrainians that it could destroy such a jewel. The Su-30SM that went down reportedly belonged to the 43rd Separate Naval Aviation Regiment of the Russian Air Force.

The Specs Are Not That Bad

The Su-30SM seems impressive on paper. It is made with ultra-strong and light components that reduce the weight and add to the airplane’s maneuverability and speed. 

This warplane has modern avionics and sensors that have improved the dog fighting capability of the warbird. The airplane features GPS and an inertial navigation system. 

The fighter can be armed with a wide range of air-to-air missiles and precision-guided munitions. The most impressive armaments include the Oniks air-to-surface missiles for taking out ground targets and ships.

The airplane is powered by “two AL-31FP by-pass turbojet reheated engines,” Airforce-Technology reported. These push out a respectable speed of MACH 2. The range is over 1,800 miles.

Su-30

A member of the Indian air force marshals in a Sukhoi Su-30 MKI on the flight line, July 13, here at Lajes Field. The Indian air force is passing through Lajes on their way to participate in Red Flag at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. It is the first time the Indian air force has ever participated at Red Flag or deployed this aircraft to the United States.

Tell Me When This Gets Better

The Russian air force is looking for some good news to come out of Ukraine. The Su-30 variants are getting blown up at air bases and shot down by soldiers on the ground. This must be frustrating for Russian generals who are likely not reporting airplane losses to Vladimir Putin. 

The Su-30SM is by all accounts a much-improved fighter than the base model Su-30. It is a non-stealth jet, but it shouldn’t have much trouble during the war. 

Adjust Tactics … Again

Russia will likely go back to flying this fighter out of the range of Ukrainian air defenses and return to launching the glide bombs that have been successful during the war. The Su-30 and its advanced variants have not made much of a difference during the war. There is no air superiority and Ukraine doesn’t seem to be afraid of the airplane. Plus, the Su-30SM is expensive with all the modern upgrades.

It is simply embarrassing that Russia’s Su-30 variants have been shot down by MANPADs or destroyed on the ground. The Russian Air Force needs to pause operations and review the air force’s performance in this war. Its best fighters are dropping out of the sky from weapons systems that were used once used by insurgent fighters during the Soviet-Afghan war many decades ago. You would think that the Russians could figure out how to avoid these basic air defenses by now. 

Russia's Su-30 Fighter

Russian Su-30 Fighter

The Su-30SM is not a bad airplane. It is fast and maneuverable with updates to its avionics and sensors. The pilots have a modern cockpit and the engines are powerful. The Russian air force needs to be better, and higher command must be honest about the war. The brass must soon get a handle on how the Ukrainians are succeeding during the air war or this stalemate is going to continue.

About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood 

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.