Kazakhstan took delivery of a new batch of Su-30SM multirole fighter jets, the press service of the Kazakh Defense Ministry announced. These are the 5th and 6th Su-30SM fighter jets delivered to the Kazakh Air Force, after the country ordered an undisclosed number of aircraft in February 2015.
“One needs to have deep knowledge and constant self-improvement to operate the jet. In a year and a half, our pilots have successfully mastered this type of aircraft and participated in a number of drills. The supply of a new aviation vehicle will enable us to enhance security of flights and defense potential of Kazakhstan Armed Forces”, Deputy Commander of the Aviation Base for Educational and Ideological Activity, Lieutenant-Colonel Temirtas Ibrayev stated.
A first batch of four Su-30SM jets was delivered to Kazakhstan in May 2015 as part of agreements reached earlier between Kazakh and Russian defense ministries. The aircraft appeared during a parade in Astana commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II.
The Su-30SM is considered a 4+ generation jet fighter. The new version has been upgraded based on Russian military requirements for radar, radio communications systems, friend-or-foe identification system, ejection seats, weapons, and other aircraft systems. The aircraft is equipped with the Bars-R radar and the wide-angle HUD. (Russian Aviation /Business World Magazine)