SU-27KUB, SU-30K2 and theories about the SU-30MK2

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 03-08-02 AT 06:00 PM (GMT)]Week of May 24, 1999

Sukhoi Su-27KUB Enters Flight Tests

By Vovick Karnozov
AWN Moscow-based columnist

The Sukhoi design bureau has confirmed that its new deck aircraft, referred to as the Su-27KUB, has been put into flight testing. The first prototype had its successful maiden flight on 29 April, with Sukhoi test pilots Victor Pugachev and Sergei Melnikov at the controls. Reportedly, the flight lasted for about an hour and was performed from the aerodrome of Gromov’s Flight Test and Research Institute (LII) in Zhukovsky near Moscow.

The Su-27KUB is a twin-seat derivative of the single-seat Su-27K deck fighter first flown in 1987 and officially accepted in service with the Russian Navy in August 1998. Both the Su-27K and Su-27KUB feature Sukhoi’s characteristic “integral triplane layout”, a combination of canards, main wing and stabiliser. The main external difference is that the KUB has a forward section resembling that of the Su-32FN land-based naval strike aircraft. The latter had its public debut at the 1995 Paris Air Show. Apart from the two naval airplanes, a similar nose section is used on the Su-34 interdiction aircraft intended to form the backbone of Russian Front-line Aviation in the next century.

The cockpits of these three aircraft feature a side-by-side arrangement of seats for the two crewmembers. In the case of the Su-27KUB this arrangement was chosen to provide the naval pilots with the “feeling of a friend’s elbow” and to reduce the workload on the crew. This was stated by Sukhoi general designer Mikhail Simonov past October, when he publicly acknowledged that the company worked on a new deck aircraft.

At that time Simonov said that long-duration missions above the open sea in the single-seat Su-27K were a hard task for young pilots. The most difficult elements were landing in bad weather and searching for targets. Simonov believes that these problems can be eased in the Su-27KUB, where the pilot sits “elbow-to-elbow” with a weapons officer.

Although neither the Russian Navy nor Sukhoi has revealed the roles that the Su-27KUB would fulfill, it is known that the new aircraft would supplement Su-27Ks, and not supersede them. The KUB suffix means “Korabelny, Uchebno-Boyevoi”, or “Ship-borne, Training, Combat” in English. In addition to the primary combat roles, the KUB will seemingly be used for training purposes, most notably practising operations from the deck of a carrier. Also, the KUB might be used for restoration of flying skills of line Navy pilots. In this role the Su-27KUB would supplement the Su-25UTG straight-wing twin-jet, a navalized version of the Su-25 attack aircraft.

There is no certainty about the Su-27KUB’s combat functions as of yet. Sukhoi has not revealed information on the avionics suite installed on the airplane. It might be that the KUB would carry the Sea Snake aiming complex and other systems developed for the Su-32FN, which is a dedicated strike aircraft intended to act against sea-going targets and submarines. The Sea Snake complex built around the Argon central computer, has a coherent radar able to detect a ship at a range of 150-200 km. Also, the complex has infrared, electro-optical, acoustic, magnetic and other sensors.

So far, only two Su-32FN prototypes have been assembled. They are being used for test purposes. Production of the Su-32FN and Su-34 is being prepared at the NAPO factory in Novosibirsk, West Siberia. However, the process has been progressing slowly, due to a lack of funding. The Su-27KUB is to enter production at KnAAPO factory in Komsomolsk-upon-Amur, Russian Far East. KnAAPO is the manufacturer of the Su-27 and Su-27K.

In all likelihood, the Su-27KUB will be built in small numbers, several dozen units at maximum. This would be more than just enough for the Russian Navy, which has only one operational carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, commissioned in 1989. Normally, the ship carries 28 Su-27K and Su-25UTG airplanes and 24 Ka-27 helicopters. Foreign orders for the Su-27KUB might come from India and China, the two friendly nations that either operate or intend to operate aircraft carriers.

SUKHOI BEGINS FLIGHT TESTS OF CARRIER-BASED SU-27KUB

“The Su-27KUB (korabyelnyi uchebno-boyevoi) carrier-based fighter developed by the Sukhoi experimental design bureau has begun flight tests. The plane took off on its maiden flight on April 29. Commander of the Russian Navy Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov was present in Zhukovsky, just outside Moscow, on that day. It is not ruled out that the new plane will serve as the basic model for a family of carrier-based planes, and the beginning of the new century will see its attack and air surveillance versions manufactured a long with the carrier-based air early warning (AEW) aircraft. The new fighter plane is a radical modification of the Su-33 (Su-27K), a spokesman for the Sukhoi experimental design bureau told JDW. The new plane has the same take-off weight and length as the Su-33 but its wing span is greater, the wing has become adaptive and capable of increasing the lift force as its camber changes. The front horizontal, wing and tail surface area has been considerably enlarged. For example, the wing surface area has increased by eight square metres. The extensive use of composite materials enabled the designers and developers prevent excessive weight growth.

The Su-27KUB will have a new crew cabin with side-by-side seats. This arrangement was earlier used in the Su-34 fighter-bomber and its export modification, the Su-32FN. The cabin was manufactured at the Komosmolsk-on-Amur aviation production association (KnAAPO) and brought to the Sukhoi experimental plant in Moscow where the first prototype of the Su-27KUB was assembled.

The new plane is equipped with the standard Al-31F engines but in the future they will be replaced with the Al-31FP engines with thrust vector control (TVC). The onboard radar is an N-014 developed at the Fazotron institute.

The funding of the Su-27KUB development and production is provided by the customer, the Russian Navy. At present cardinal changes have taken place in the financing of the development and production of combat aircraft. In the past, the Air Forces were responsible for the development and manufacture of all types of combat planes. Now the financing of the naval aviation is a prerogative of the naval command.”

(source: Military Parade JSC, 1999)

“The Sukhoi Su-27KUB two-seat carrier fighter/trainer has begun arrested landing trials at Saki in the Crimea, only five months after its first flight. The aircraft is using the NITKA (Nauchno-Issledovatyelski trenirovochny kompleks aviatsii /Aviation scientific-research and training complex) facility at the Ukrainian-owned former Soviet Naval Air Base while the Russian Navy’s sole carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, is undergoing repair and refurbishment at Murmansk. Flight tests from the carrier are planned for later in the year on completion of that work. The NITKA provides a representation of Kuznetsov’s deck, with ski-jump and four-wire arresting gear. Although intended for carrier conversion training of pilots, the large side-by-side cockpit of the Su-27KUB makes it an excellent platform for more specialized tasks, amongst which the Russian Navy plans anti-shipping strike, land attack, reconnaissance and electronic warfare.”

(source: AFM, November 1999)

From Jane’s,

“An aircraft with the temporary designation Su-30K2 is under construction at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur factory. This is a two-seat interceptor fighter with a side-by-side cockpit similar to the shipborne Su-27KUB. The airframe layout and fire-control system of the Su-30K2 are unknown; they may be parallel to those of either the Su-27 or the Su-35 (canards, multi-mode radar). The first flight of the Su-30K2 is expected next year.”—Jane’s Intelligence Review, Nov. 1, 1999.

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Reading these articles, it is starting to make sense for me.

It is no mistake, the third PRC order isn’t really about the SU-30MKK, or the PLAAF’s requirements. After the second batch of
SU-30MKK is done, production of the SU-30MKK shifts to Shenyang after the eightieth SU-27SK is completed (finishing all the Russian supplied kits). This makes it odd to think why a third order would be needed.

These quotes strike me with insights:

“In addition to the primary combat roles, the KUB will seemingly be used for training purposes, most notably practising operations from the deck of a carrier.”

“It might be that the KUB would carry the Sea Snake aiming complex and other systems developed for the Su-32FN, which is a dedicated strike aircraft intended to act against sea-going targets and submarines. The Sea Snake complex built around the Argon central computer, has a coherent radar able to detect a ship at a range of 150-200 km. Also, the complex has infrared, electro-optical, acoustic, magnetic and other sensors.”

“At that time Simonov said that long-duration missions above the open sea in the single-seat Su-27K were a hard task for young pilots. The most difficult elements were landing in bad weather and searching for targets. Simonov believes that these problems can be eased in the Su-27KUB, where the pilot sits “elbow-to-elbow” with a weapons officer.”

“Although intended for carrier conversion training of pilots, the large side-by-side cockpit of the Su-27KUB makes it an excellent platform for more specialized tasks, amongst which the Russian Navy plans anti-shipping strike, land attack, reconnaissance and electronic warfare.”

“Foreign orders for the Su-27KUB might come from India and China, the two friendly nations that either operate or intend to operate aircraft carriers.”

Particularly interesting are the involvement of KNAAPO and Phazotron on the KUB and the 30K2, these two companies having an excellent working relationship with the PRC. KNAAPO is the company mentioned in the news articles being responsible to the SU-30MK2, and built most of the SU-27SK and SU-30MKK for the PLAAF.

While the -KUB seemed experimental, the -30K2 an interceptor, the SU-30MK2 sounds reasonable as being the -30K2 now extended with a ground/sea level attack role, in this case, to fire an antiship missile like the KH-31a, possibly fitted with the Phazotron radars fitted on the second batch of SU-30MKK.

It does not make sense for the PLAAF to have yet another SU-30 variant different from the main ones it has, and for a variant that does not offer anything significantly more than the SU-30MKK. But it makes sense if these new planes are not for the PLAAF but the PLANAF instead, staking out its turf with a different set of requirements the same way the USN does versus the USAF. The PLAN too, seems to be on a massive acquisition binge lately, with the recent Sovremanny and Kilo orders to start with.

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