In june 2017, the ministry of defence of belarus signed a $600 million contract for the purchase of 12 su-30sm fighters from neighbouring russia, the first new type of post-soviet aircraft ordered by belarus. The first four were delivered in august 2019, while the remaining eight are expected to arrive in the country by the end of 2024. The delivery was reportedly delayed for a long time, owing to the late payment by belarus, which benefited from increased security protection in russia, thereby reducing the need for a renewed combat fleet。
Russia has deployed a large number of su-30sm fighters and more capable su-35s fighters in belarus, in addition to the s-400 air defence system and mig-31k heavy interdiction aircraft. For its part, belarus had acquired low-cost defence assets, such as the s-400 air defence system and the iskandel short-range ballistic missile, and had been equipped with nuclear warheads supplied by russia. Foreign military experts speculated that belarus might purchase 12 su-30sm fighters again and that the size of the fleet could be increased to 24. However, belarus ' choice of fighter aircraft provides us with a valuable reference for understanding the geopolitical situation。
After the collapse of the soviet union, belarus inherited the 26th air force, which formed the belarusian air force on that basis, but in the ensuing decade and a half, the belarusian air force was significantly downsized owing to defence budget problems. The mig-25p heavy interceptors were completely decommissioned in 1995 and the su-27 fighters and the su-24 fighter bombers were completely decommissioned in 2012, some of which were also sold to angola (12 su-27) and the sudan (8 su-24). Mig-23mld fighters were also sold to syria in 2001。
This makes mig-29 the only fighter aircraft in the country, but the age of these fighters and the difficulty of upgrading have placed considerable pressure on belarus and therefore the need to find a suitable follow-up type. For a long time, military experts have speculated that belarus might buy improved mig-29m or mig-35 aircraft, since their combat costs were far lower than those of the soviet-era mig-29 and their performance was clearly better than those of the latter, while belarus purchased su-30sm。
The decision of belarus to purchase su-30sm was largely influenced by the russian air force, since the two air forces were to maintain maximum compatibility. In the russian air force, su-30sm together with su-35s and su-34 constitute the main fleet. Russia, on the other hand, encouraged the former soviet union allies to buy su-30sm fighters and provide them on preferential terms。
Su-30sm fighter aircraft of the kazakhstan air force
Kazakhstan had signed 36 separate contracts between 2015 and 2023, and 23 had been delivered. Armenia purchased four in december 2019. In addition, in 2018, myanmar ordered six su-30sme aircraft for export. Su-30sm is a low-cost alternative to the su-35s fighters, whose range, radar size and mobility are far greater than those of the western class and are therefore highly favoured。
Russian navy su-30sm fighters
According to the plan of the former soviet union, the soviet air force would be equipping the 5th generation fighter jets starting in 2001 and developing the first invisible fighter jet under the mig 1. 42 project, but the collapse of the soviet union resulted in the cancellation of the project and, for various reasons, the delivery of the first production machine type was not carried out until december 2020. This has increased the dependence of russia and its export clients on enhanced fourth-generation fighters such as su-30sm and su-35s, which, while different from their european counterparts, are at a significant disadvantage compared to the fifth-generation aircraft produced by china and the united states。
After the collapse of the soviet union, mig-25, su-24m and su-27 were replaced by lower-end, but much cheaper, mig-29, which means that belarus is beginning to reduce its focus on fighter jets, a situation that may not continue with the widespread proliferation of f-35 fighters in eastern europe, although su-30sm currently has some advantage over neighbouring poland。
