Sukhoi Su-30

Sukhoi · Soviet Union · first flew 1989 · fighter

A two-seat, twin-engine heavyweight derived from the Su-27 Flanker, built for long-range air superiority and multirole strike.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, swept
E — Engines	2 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Big swept wings blending into the fuselage with leading-edge root extensions
T — Tail	Twin fin

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Twin canted fins and twin engines set wide apart
Long pointed nose with a two-seat tandem canopy
Big swept wings blending into the fuselage with leading-edge root extensions

Look for the unmistakable big twin-finned Flanker planform with two widely spaced engines, plus the tandem two-seat canopy that distinguishes it from the single-seat Su-27.

Specifications

The Sukhoi Su-30 has a length of 21.9 m (72 ft).
It has a wingspan of 14.7 m (48 ft).
Its maximum speed is 2120 km/h (1317 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Developed from the two-seat Su-27PU interceptor, the Su-30 first flew in 1989 and matured into a family of export multirole fighters. Indian, Indo-Russian and Chinese collaboration produced thrust-vectoring and canard-equipped variants that pushed the basic Flanker into the multirole era.

Variants

Major versions include the Su-30MKI for India (with canards and thrust-vectoring), the MKK/MK2 for China, the MKM for Malaysia and the upgraded Su-30SM for Russia.

Where you'll see it

A front-line Russian, Indian and Chinese type not based in the UK, so unlikely to be seen in British skies; spotters encounter it mainly overseas or at international exhibitions.

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