Russia delivered the first batch of Su-27s to China in 1992, consisting of 20 SKs and 4 UBKs.
The fighters were equipped with the Su-27's standard SUV-27 fire-control system, which was fitted with the following:
RLPK-27 radar with NO01E antenna
OEPS-27E Optical tracking system
ILS-31 flat display
Shchel-3UM helmet sight
TS100 fire control computer
SEI-27 datalink system
(Soviet/Russian military electronics nomenclature: SUV is the code name for the airborne integrated fire-control system, and RLPK is the code name for the radar system).
(Soviet/Russian military electronic naming system: SUV is the designation of the onboard integrated fire control system, RLPK is the designation of the radar system, and what we often refer to as NO01 is actually the number of the radar antenna, and E stands for export)
This fire control system of the Su-27 has a search range of 80-100 kilometers and a tracking range of 60-70 kilometers on a fighter target (RCS=3 square meters). It can track up to 10 targets simultaneously, but is limited to attacking only 1 target at a time due to data processing hard/software capabilities.
The Su-27 is also equipped with an early data chain, but limited to data processing capacity and transmission speed, it can only transmit simple information such as target heading and intended intercept point to peer friendly aircraft.
China's Su-27SK and the Russian Air Force's Su-27S avionics system is basically the same (including the L006 radar warning machine), only with the secrecy of the active jammer is different: the Su-27S is the L005, the Su-27SK is the L203/L204, which is the world's military aircraft exports of the general practice.
Second and third batch of Su-27
Russia delivered the second batch of Su-27s to China in 1996, including 16 SKs and 6 UBKs.
The improvements of this batch of Su-27SKs over the first batch of Su-27SKs were the adoption of NO01P antennae on its radar, which improved TWS accuracy and allowed it to attack two targets at the same time. The integrated navigation system adds the A737
GPS system.
The third batch of 28 Su-27UBKs was delivered after 2000, with roughly the same equipment as the second batch of Su-27SKs. In addition, the fire control system is said to have a limited ground attack capability, and to be able to guide ground attack precision-guided weapons such as the КАБ-500L/KR and the Kh-29T. But there is no actual configuration.
Su-27 modifications
According to foreign media sources, China purchased 20 sets of passive phased-array antennas and transmitters for the ZHUK-MS radar with NO10M passive phased-array antennas from Russia's NIIR in 2001, for use in modifications to the in-service Su-27 fighter. Its transmitter has a peak power of 6 kW and an average power of 1.5 kW, with a head-on search range of 140-150 km for an airborne target of 5 square meters. The trailing search distance is 55-60 kilometers respectively. There are 16 operating frequencies, allowing precise tracking of 12 targets and simultaneous attack of 4 targets. This will greatly improve the Su-27's air combat capability.
Note that this is the passive phased-array version of the Falcon, not the active phased-array version of the SOKOL that is still being tested. And this information has not been confirmed.
Su-27SMK
In the 1990s, China purchased a production license for the Su-27 from Russia, and according to reports back then, Russia recommended the single-seat, multi-purpose Su-27SMK, which strengthened the Su-27's ground-attack capability, with the following improvements:
Adoption of the ZHUK-27 fire-control radar
Adoption of the MFI-68 fire-control radar
Adoption of the MFI-68 fire-control radar
Glassed-in cockpit with MFI-68 multifunction displays
Strengthened fuselage structure to accommodate increased bomb and fuel loads
Addition of two 2,000 kg loaded hangers on the wings to mount large air-to-ground weaponry
Equipped with weaponry such as the P-77E Air-to-Air Missile and the Kh-59ME Air-to-Ground Missile
The addition of an airborne refueling system
But China ultimately did not accept the program. Modern air combat places a heavy workload on pilots, who are often overwhelmed with maneuvering the onboard electronics and weapons (especially ground weapons) alone. The large range of the fighter-bomber also makes the pilot tired, which is not conducive to dealing with the complexity of combat situations. Therefore, fighter-bombers need to include a second pilot, also known as a weapons controller, who is responsible for operating the onboard radar, communications and other fire control systems, and using weapons to launch attacks. The other pilot, on the other hand, is dedicated to specific navigational maneuvers and self-defense air combat. This also gave birth to the Su-30MKK on the basis of this program.
The first and second batch of Su-30
The first and second batch of Su-30MKK were delivered from 2000 to 2003, ****76 units.
The Su-30MKK's fire control system consists of two parts: the SUV-VEP air-to-air fire control system and the SUV-P air-to-ground fire control system, the SUV-P fire control system is a new addition to the Su-30MKK, whose main task is to guarantee the fighter's detection of ground/sea surface targets. Recognize and strike, SUV-P air-to-ground fire control precision guidance system and SUV-VEP*** with detection equipment, only in the way of processing differences. It is capable of wide-band communication with precision-guided weapons, and can display target data attacked by the precision-guided weapon, navigation data of the weapon, etc. on four displays in the cockpit.The SUV-P is also integrated with a TV-guided device in the on-board optoelectronic pods to fire TV-guided weapons such as the Kh-59ME.
The system is mainly equipped with the following:
RLPK-27 radar system with NO01VE antenna
OEPS-30E-MK electro-optical tracking system
MVK fire-control computer
1553B data bus
TKS-2 high-speed datalink
The NO01V series radar antenna is a truly multi-purpose radar antenna for air-to-ground/sea detection in the Su-27 series of airborne radars that have been finalized and put into service in Russia, providing a complete range of air-to-ground modes including DBS, SAR and GMIT.
Russia is using the NO01V radar antenna to modify its existing Su-27, which has a head-on search range of 135-150 kilometers for fighter-sized targets (RCS3m2). However, the NO01VE antenna used by the Su-30MKK is a simplified export version of the NO01V, with a head-on search range of only 80-100 kilometers, and 40 kilometers in the backward direction. In air-to-air TWS mode, the Su-30MKK can track up to 10 targets and simultaneously guide two RVV-AE (an export version of the P-77 active radar-guided medium-range air-to-air missile) against two targets. However, the onboard fire-control computer has the ability to guide six missiles simultaneously, but requires the radar antenna to be replaced with a phased array.
The TKS-2 (known internally in Russia as the R098) tactical encrypted high-speed data chain can support joint operations with 16 formations. It can fully support the Su-30MKK to conduct joint network operations and realize the information **** enjoyment within the formation, for example, the formation's radar can be switched on alternately to disrupt the opponent's electronic reconnaissance system. The wingman can carry out a "stealth" attack without opening the radar at all, that is, the long aircraft to provide fire control data to the wingman, the wingman for the launch of missiles out of the radio command guidance.
With efficient high-speed data chain, greatly improving the Su-30MKK's information perception and **** enjoy the ability. From the aircraft and aircraft such as a single aircraft on the confrontation, to the system and the system to the confrontation between the system, in order to come out of the network center war in line with China's actual situation to lay the foundation.
Overall, the Su-30MKK's avionics system has basically reached a level comparable to that of advanced Western fighters, and the combat unit has realized a shift from single-player combat to system combat.
The third batch of Su-30
The first and second batches of Su-30MKK are still in MK-1 standard, and from this year the Chinese Naval Aviation Corps receives Su-30MKK in MK-2 standard, with a number of 24 units.
As per the Russian media, compared with the Su-30MK, the Su-30MKK*** has installed 150 sets of new equipment, including air-surface weapon control systems, fire control systems, optical locators, radio reconnaissance devices, video recording systems, helmet sights, and TV guidance equipment, which have stronger target identification and indication capabilities.
Radar using NO01VEP antenna, air detection distance slightly increased to 90-110 kilometers, increased radar air-to-ground channel, can simultaneously attack two ground targets. The range of air-surface weapon use is further expanded. The extended-range Kh-59MK and Kh-31A anti-ship missiles can be guided. The Su-30MK2 is said to have successfully completed missile launch tests against low-resolution targets at sea. However, the radars will remain a simplified version of the NO01V intended for use by the Russian Air Force, and some of the most sensitive technologies, such as tracking range enhancement and multi-target resolution, will be omitted.
As an enhancement to the Su-30MKK's precision strike mission, the Su-30MK2 will be equipped with the Peregrine Falcon-Э (Sapsan-E) forward-looking infrared/laser targeting pod developed by the Ural Optical Instruments Consortium (UOIC), which is 3 meters long, 0.39 meters in diameter and weighs 250 kilograms. The pod is 3 meters long, 0.39 meters in diameter and weighs 250 kilograms. It is equipped with a TV camera, a laser rangefinder and target illuminator, a laser spot orientation detector, a forward-looking infrared search/tracking unit, a Jetlink inertial guidance system and a control system. It can provide warplanes with the ability to search, track and lock on ground/sea surface targets; control the launch of precision-guided weapons; assist navigation and air-air assist tracking.
The working head has a working pitch angle of +10 degrees to -15 degrees and a roll angle of ±180 degrees. This gives the aircraft full capability to ensure that the target is locked in the field of view when it is doing a large maneuver. Before not equipped with such a pod, the Su-30MKK's precision attack on the ground by the OEPS-30MK-E (also produced by the Ural Optical Instruments Consortium) to complete, although the ground larger targets such as airports, command centers, etc. have the ability to search and track, but for vehicles and other small maneuvering targets are still not enough, "Peregrine Falcon - Э
The Su-30MK2's attack capability will be greatly enhanced by the availability of the "Peregrine Falcon - Э", which will also be equipped on the Su-30MKK.
The Su-30MK2 will also be equipped with the M400 reconnaissance pod developed by the Dome Design Bureau (mounted between the two engine inlets), a large pod that can carry a variety of sensors, including airborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR), TVs, infrared units, and long-range oblique cameras, including:
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) with a planar search range of up to 100 kilometers and an accuracy of up to 2 meters.TV/IR scanners with a search range of up to 70 kilometers and accuracy of up to 0.3 meters.
Long-range tilt camera, combat range can also be up to 70 kilometers, accuracy of 0.4 meters.
The M400 system can accurately lock on to maritime and other targets, and can provide targeting assistance for long-range strike weapons. The information can be shared not only within the formation through the data chain, but also transmitted to the ground command center.
In short, the Su-30MK2 will have sufficient anti-ship capability and limited all-weather ground combat capability.
The legendary "Su-30MK3"
According to the usual story, after Russia has delivered all the Su-30MKK fighter-bombers ordered by the Chinese Air Force, it will proceed with an onboard radar upgrade. The Russians will equip the Su-30MKK with the world's most advanced airborne active phased array radar, and the Su-30MKK at this stage will be at the MK-3 standard.
But the exact model of the radar is still undecided, and opinions vary. And because of Russia's military spending constraints, the relevant design bureaus have to frequently launch a variety of products to open up the international market, in order to create gimmicks, so that even the radar number and the name of the correspondence is quite confusing, the details of which we will explain in the accompanying article.
The two radars currently being marketed by Russia are the ZHUK-MSFE (Falcon), which uses the SOKOL active phased-array antenna in the NIIR, and the RLSU-27 (Panda), which uses the Pero active phased-array antenna in the NIIP. The "Panda"). However, both the Falcon and the Bearcat are still in the test flight stage, and it is too early to discuss who will be mounted on the Su-30MKK.
A prototype of the ZHUK-MSFE radar with a SOKOL active phased-array antenna was first shown at the Moscow Airshow in 2001, and it was claimed in the materials distributed that it would be developed into a series: 980-millimeter-diameter antennae for a modified Su-27 series (called Falcons), and 700-millimeter ones for the MiG-29 series (called Falcons). 700 mm for the MiG-29 series (called "Pharaoh"), 440 mm for the Yak-130 trainer/attack aircraft, and smaller-diameter models competing for the tail-beam rear-view radar of Russia's next-generation fighters. Common sense dictates that the ZHUK-MSFE will likely have an antenna diameter of more than 1,000 millimeters to compete for the main forward-looking radar of Russia's next-generation fighters.
The 980-mm active phased-array Falcon is currently being tested on the 502nd prototype of Russia's Su-30MKK for flight trials, and will offer new performance improvements over the passive phased-array version: integration of about 1,000 X-band T/R modules, peak power of 8 kilowatts, average power of 2 kilowatts, scanning pitch range of 2 kilowatts, and a range of 1,000 kilowatts to 2 kilowatts. 2 kW, and a scanning pitch range of +56° to -40°. The head-on detection range for fighter targets has been increased to 170-180 kilometers, and the tail-tracking detection range has reached 60-80 kilometers, allowing it to track 30 targets simultaneously and attack six of them.
It is estimated that the Falcon will not be finalized and ready for service until after 2006. The Bearcat is not expected to be ready until at least 2008. Not surprisingly, France's "Rafale" using the RBE-2 is still passive phased array radar, Western Europe's "Typhoon" is even still using the Doppler radar ECR-90, it is expected that the earliest to 2006 before the replacement of Marconi, Thomson, Daimler Aerospace co-development of a new radar. The AMSAR active phased array, jointly developed by Marconi, Thomson and Daimler Aerospace, is not expected to be replaced until after 2006 at the earliest.
The "monkey wrench" problem will always be present in any country's commercial arms exports, to varying degrees depending on geostrategic relationships.
Even for the cooperation of the more intimate allies, there are often in the self-use type of equipment technology is fully mature, can be installed before the troops, the use of this part of the technology to make a slightly lower grade of export-type weapons, sold to the allies, the allies to complete the verification of the technology and use of the verification; or simply continue to improve the performance of the export-type weapons on the success of the development of the weapons for their own troops, in this way, you can In this way, you can avoid the risk, but also can share the development costs, FC-1 fighter, 85 series tanks are not also such similar examples?
And the real key technology who will not easily sell, who will not easily take out with people **** enjoy. So we should treat the international arms trade with a mature attitude, do not hear the sales manufacturer said Su-30MKK is the most advanced on the joy, hear its shortcomings and chagrin.