Sharper claws
Between 2003 and 2009 the Komsomolsk-
on-Amur plant upgraded 48 Su-27s to
Su-27SM multi-role con guration. The SM
modi cation was realized at fairly low cost
using systems developed for the Chinese
Su-30MK2. In reality, these were modest
enhancements: the standard Cassegrain
radar antenna is retained under an
upgraded N001V derivative, and the IRST
is the improved OLS-27M. The helmet is
the new Sura, like the Shchel-3U made by
the Ukrainian Arsenal company.
The upgraded Su-27SMs were
deployed to regiments based atDzyomgi and Tsentralnaya Uglovaya,
24 jets going to each. Later, when
these units received Su-35s, the older
Su-27SMs were transferred to Belbek in
Crimea and to Besovets.
Production of the Su-27 for the VKS
resumed in 2009 when the service
ordered a dozen new Su-27SM3
versions. These came about by utilizing
airframes that were sitting at the
Komsomolsk plant, built in anticipation
of a Chinese order that failed to
materialize.
Su-27SM3 deliveries to Krymsk air
base began in 2011. Others were sent tothe Lipetsk combat training center. This
batch was signi cant in that these were
the last Su-27s ever built, culminating
with Bort number 62 (c/n 41001), own
on December 20, 2011.
Total production of the Su-27 is
estimated at 660 single-seaters and
around 200 Su-27UB/UBK two-seaters,
the latter built in Irkutsk.
Compared to the Su-27SM, the
Su-27SM3 introduced the further
upgraded N001VM radar, new R-77-1
medium-range missiles and a L265M10
Khibiny-M electronic countermeasures
system. An upgrade project for
operational Su-27s to be brought up
to Su-27SM3 standard was launched,
and the rst two aircraft (Borts 63 and
64) were delivered to Krymsk in May- At least two other aircraft (recently
identi ed as Borts 68 Red and 69 Red)
plus two unidenti ed examples were
upgraded at the Komsomolsk plant in
2017, and a further pair is understood
to be awaiting similar upgrade at
the factory.
Today, around 100 active Su-27s
remain in operational Russian units,
some 60 of these being Su-27SM/
SM3s. Around a dozen Su-27s can
be found with the training base at
Kushchevskaya.
Above left:
This Su-27SM
(RF-95264) was
photographed
at Belbek
following a spell
in maintenance. It
sports an unusual
camoufl age
scheme.
Dmitriy Pichugin
Below: A Lipetsk-
based Su-27SM
(RF-92211)
assigned to the
combat training
center there.
Piotr ButowskiFORCE REPORT // RUSSIAN FIGHTERS
88 April 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net
86-88 Russian Fighter pt2 Su-27 C.indd 88 15/02/2018 12:50