Russian Navy Black Sea Fleet Naval Aviation Forms Su-30SM Squadron in Crimea

: Posted On Thursday, 03 March 2016 19:33

Naval Forces News - Russia

Russian Navy Black Sea Fleet Naval Aviation Forms Su-30SM Squadron in Crimea

The naval aviation of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has received an air squadron of eight advanced Sukhoi Su-30SM (NATO reporting name: Flanker-C) multipurpose fighter jets, fleet spokesman Vyacheslav Trukhachyov said on Thursday.

Su-30SM of the Russian Navy Black Sea Fleet in demonstration at MAKS 2015. Picture: V. Kuzmin

Several aircraft of this type will arrive for the Black Sea Fleet later in 2016, the spokesman said.

"The renewal of the Black Sea Fleet’s naval aviation started after Crimea’s re-integration into Russia in 2014. The rearmament with advanced Su-30SM multipurpose fighter jets is nearing completion," Trukhachyov said.

"As of today, a squadron of eight Su-30SM fighter jets has been formed. It is based at the airfield in the town of Saki in Crimea. This year, the Black Sea Fleet will receive another aircraft of this type," he added. According to the spokesman, the Black Sea Fleet’s naval aviation has learnt to operate unmanned aerial vehicles. Air-launched weapons are also undergoing renewal and pilots are learning to operate new types of aircraft.

Russia will replace all of its Su-24 Fencer bomber jets operating in the Black Sea Fleet on the Crimean Peninsula with Su-30SM Flanker multirole fighters by 2020, the head of the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s Naval Aviation said Thursday.

According to Irkut Corporation, Su-30SM are super maneuverable twin engine jets, equipped with phased array radar, thrust vectoring engines and canards. The fighter is able to use modern "air-to-air" and "air-to-surface" high-precision weapons.

The Russian Navy Su-30SM are not intended for the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov but operate from naval aviation bases on land. They have a two-tone dark gray camouflage and bear a St. Andrew's flag (Russian Navy Ensign) painting by the cockpit.