The new role of the Su-30CM
In mid-October at stories An important event took place in the aerospace forces of Russia: the "calling card" of our military aviation - The Russian Knights aerobatics team - received four new multipurpose Su-30SM fighters manufactured by Irkut Corporation.Fighters with blue side numbers 30, 31, 32 and 33, having taken off from the airfield of the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, with intermediate landings in Novosibirsk and Ulyanovsk, October 14 arrived at the Kubinka airfield near Moscow. The 237 Guards Center for displaying aviation equipment of the Russian Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation is based here.
The commander-in-chief of the Russian Space Forces Colonel-General Colonel-General Viktor Bondarev, the President of the Irkut Corporation Oleg Demchenko, the chief designer of the Su-30SM aircraft Oleg Pankov took part in the solemn meeting of the new fighters.
NEW DIAMOND
“Russian Knights” received Su-30CM aircraft, painted according to the traditional pattern of the group, including the combination of the “tricolor” of the Russian state flag on the fuselage and the planes with the colors of the VKS flag on the vertical tail.
Four airplanes will allow pilots to immediately begin practicing exercises in the course of aerobatic training, since the basis for building any formations in the sky is the so-called rhombus (a “diamond” in Western aviation slang). “Rhombus” can be increased by additional slaves, but it cannot be reduced to three cars either because of the loss of entertainment, or because of the complexity of putting new slaves into service. Pilots of the whole world are preparing so - first an individual aerobatics, then as a part of a couple, then - immediately four.
The first performances of the “Russian Knights” at the Su-30CM will begin when the pilots work out group fun in a fundamentally new machine.
Recall that, until now, the pilots of the Russian Knights group worked in the sky on Su-27P fighters and two-seat Su-27UBs. 5 is considered to be the official date of birth of Vityaz on April 1991, when based on the 1 Air Division of the 234 Guards Proskurovsky Mixed Aviation Regiment, based on the Moscow Region aerodrome Kubinka, the aerobatics group was created. Against the background of a sharp reduction in military spending, the aviation industry was in dire need of entering the foreign market, and who better than a group of aerobatics could give potential customers a spectacular demonstration of the maneuvering capabilities of domestic fighters. In addition to promotional tasks, there were also considerations of national prestige, and a desire to preserve the national aerobatic school in impending uneasy times.
The first "drying" went to the "Russian Vityaz" from the 234 giap, it was the 1988 – 1989 production cars. In April, the 1989-th regiment received seven 28-series machines from the factory; in the summer of 1989, the first two Su-27UB production units of the Irkutsk Aviation Plant were transferred. Later, Vityaz got several more 1990 – 1991-s cars. However, the age of these beautiful cars inevitably comes to an end. They are almost the same age as the youngest “Vityaz” - guard to captain Vladimir Kochetov.
SHELF - ANNUALLY
In March, 2012, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and the Irkut Corporation signed the first contract for the supply of new Su-30СМ multifunctional fighter jets for (then) the Russian Air Force. Later followed by Irkut - in December 2012 of the year (on 30 aircraft) and in April of the current year (on 28 aircraft for HQs), as well as contracts for the supply of a total of 28 machines for Naval Aviation of the Russian Navy. The fighters went to combat units, to date, the Irkut corporation transferred the Russian Aerospace Forces under the signed contracts about the 60 Su-30CM fighters, and nine more - to the Naval Aviation.The new fighter has good export prospects. Since 2015, they have been received by the Republic of Kazakhstan, the CSTO’s ally of Russia. At international exhibitions, the export version of the Su-30SME machine is advertised, which has good chances to continue the success of Su-30MKI, the founder of the “thirty” Irkutsk family.
Su-30SM have proven themselves in the army. At the ceremonial meeting in Kubinka, Viktor Bondarev said: “Today you received the most up-to-date fighter jets of the 4 ++ generation, which confirmed their characteristics in the front-line units and fulfilling combat missions in Syria.”
The Commander-in-Chief of the VKS announced new deliveries of the Su-30CM: “We buy these planes annually, we will practically receive up to an aircraft regiment, that is, 20 – 24 per year.
As for the further replenishment of the “Russian Vityazi” park, the group in 2016 should receive four more Su-30CMs from Irkutsk.
The mastering by Vityaz of the new multi-purpose fighters of the 4 ++ generation goes beyond the framework of only one demonstration piloting. The 237 TsPAT in Kubinka is a drill unit of the Aerospace Forces, and no one has removed the duties of air fighters from the pilots of the Center. So they will have to master not only spectacular maneuvering in the sky, but also the course of combat training in full. That is why the group supplied full combat vehicles.
Note that colleagues from Vityaz, pilots of the Falcons of Russia aerobatic team, established on the basis of the Lipetsk aviation center, are flying Su-30CM.
GIFT FOR 25 ANNIVERSARY
The pilots of the “Russian Knights” group made their first flights to Su-30CM in 2013. Pilots got acquainted with the unique maneuverable capabilities of the fighter, performed a complex of aerobatic maneuvers and gave a very high assessment to the products of the Irkutsk people.The command went to meet the wishes of the pilots. In 2014, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force announced the upcoming re-equipment of the “Russian Knights” on the Su-30CM. Soon the theoretical retraining of the pilots of the group began, which was carried out with the help of specialists from the Irkut Corporation. Oleg Demchenko notes: “The decision of the command of the Russian Aerospace Forces to equip the aerobatic team with Su-30CM fighters is a great honor and responsibility for our corporation.”
The new technology has become a real gift to the Russian Knights group in the year of its 25 anniversary. Su-30CM fighters, thanks to the AL-31FP engines with thrust vector control, significantly increasing the maneuverability characteristics of the aircraft, and a perfect electric remote control system outnumber many lighter machines in maneuverability. This is extremely important for the aerobatic team and will allow to master new, previously impossible or unnecessarily risky elements.
The leader of the “Russian Knights”, Colonel Andrei Alekseev, said: “The plane is much easier to fly. On the plane more serious equipment. The latest word in the navigation plan - the latest technology is equipped. Therefore, of course, it is much more comfortable to fly it. ”
"Thirty" - a double car, which allows you to better coordinate the work of the group aerobatics, facilitates long-distance flights over unfamiliar and bezoriyentirnoy terrain, and also simplifies the commissioning of young pilots.
The new fighter is a modern combat vehicle with the perfect onboard electronic equipment. Su-30M is much more perfect than Su-27, in particular, in its sighting and navigation complex, which allows you to fly long-haul flights without a leading aircraft. The increased amount of fuel on board and the possibility of refueling in the air altogether remove the question of the range of flight - it is limited by the physiological capabilities of the pilot.
Finally, as our great aircraft designer Andrei Nikolaevich Tupolev said: “Only beautiful planes fly well!” Su-30CM is one of the most beautiful planes of our time, and the aesthetic perfection of the machines is not in the last place in front of tens of thousands of spectators.
The conversion to new fighter aircraft of our leading aerobatic team is another symbol of the fact that the most difficult stage in the development of our military aviation and aviation industry has been passed. “Russian Knights” on new cars will inspire the beauty of the flight of citizens of their country and assert the prestige of domestic aviation abroad.
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