- Yes
- No
Sukhoi Su-30SM Flanker-H: The Aerial-Masterpiece on Steroids
Hi and welcome to my first suggestion, which is about the Su-30SM. 
After @EpicBlitzkrieg87 has already made a suggestion for the Su-27S and MiG-29S, other players about Mirage 2000s, Gripen, F-15s, F-16s, Eurofighter, Rafale and more, I thought why not give the Su-30SM a chance too?
First of all:
- This is a suggestion for an Aircraft we could see in game at some point in the Future , that doesn´t mean next Patch or somewhere in the near Future
- I don´t want to force Gaijin to rush Top-tier aviation in any way
- Feel free to share more Data and / or correct me if something is wrong
- If you want to visit the Su-27S suggestion click here , MiG-29S click here
- Discuss respectfully, any aggressive kind or verbal abuse will be reported, the Forum rules also apply here
- FOX-3 on all aircraft in game (when added) could be balanced by limit them to a max. of 2 - 4x missiles and making them not such strong as in RL or DCS (my opinion)
Basic Background:
Due Reductions in the IA PVO´s intercepter fleet, the emergence of more stringent requiremnts for interceptors, the sheer lenght oft he Soviet Union´s northern border and the scracity of airbases in the northern regions of the country as well as airborne comman posts and AEW&C aircraft, were the factots that led the Sokhoi OKB to devlop the Su-27UB trainer into a new specialised interceptor. The works on a two seat interceptor / command „post version“ of the Su-27 began in mid – 1980s with I. V. Yemel´yanov as chief project engineer. The Su-30 was produced and exported in following versions: Su-30 (first called Su-27UP), K, KN, M, MK, MKK, MK2 / 3, MKV, MK2V, M2, MKI, MKM, MKA, SM / 2 and SME. Before some one asks what MKI for e.g. means:
" Modernizirovannyi, Kommercheskiy, Indiski " = Modernized, Commercial, Indian.
Overall:
Su-30SM itself is a Multi-Role-Two-Seater & heavy-fighter Jet developed by JSC Sukhoi Design and being manufactured by IRKUT, which is the russian version and modification of export Su-30MK, the Indian designation Su-30MKI and the direct replacement of Su-27S air superiority fighter. The Su-30SM has improved Radar, radio communication system, “friend or foe” system, and other systems over export versions. Its first flight has been on 21.09.2012 at the airport of the Irkutsk Aviation Institute. Powered by the very powerful Saturn AL-31FP which comes with 3D-Thrust-Vectoring engine nozzels - a controllable thrust vector is fitted with flexible nozzles that move vertically in plus and minus 16 degrees, and up to 15 degrees plus and minus in the horizontal direction. Each produce a thrust of 122kN on full afterburner and around 74kN non-AB thrust. The Su-30SM comes with the N011M Bars-R Radar which allowes us to detect e.g. a MiG-29 from 160km away, the Radar comes with multiple different search modes, for more check below. As the Su-27S, MiG-29A / S and the already in game existend MiG-23M as well as MIG-23MLD, the Su-30SM comes with a strong IRST; the OLS-30 (Izdeliye 52Sh), with a detection range of up to 90km. The Canards from Su-33 are back tho :D. The glass cockpit accommodates two pilots in a tandem configuration. It combines a sophisticated avionics suit that integrates the head-up display and multifunctional liquid crystal display. Compared to Su-27, the Su-30MKA, MKI, MKM and SM, also Su-35S / BM and Su-34 are coming with a total of 12 Pylons, which allowes the Su-30SM a pretty big arsenal of weapons that can be carried at once. Afterall, performence wise, in battle, it will be similar to Mirage 2000C, Gripen A / C, F-14D, F-15C and F/A-18C. It’s probably the deadliest Dogfighter right after the Su-35S, especially in the merge it should be feared. The Su-30SM and its big bother, SM2, are very dangerous machines in the right hands.
Export:
The Su-30MK(I) series are in service with the Algerian, Angolan, Armenian, Belarusian, Indian (IAF), Indonesian, PLAAF, People’s Liberation Army Naval Air Force, Royal Malaysian, Ugandan, Venezuelan and Vietnam People’s Air Forces. Su-30SM was delievered to the Russian Naval and Air Forces, Belarus, Armenia and Kazakhstan, while Myanmar ordered 6 Su-30SME in 2018. (SME is downgraded SM for export).
Armament of Su-30SM (game relevant):
I hope we will see costumizable Loudouts. On jets with 6 or more Pylons, it can be tricky to give us all possible options, as well as loadouts we wish to have. Here is a great suggestion to fix this problem.
Spoiler
Guns: 1x GSh-30-1 (30 x 165mm, 150 rounds)
1500 – 1800 rpm
muzzle velocity of 870 m/s (1800m range)
AAM, up to (12 Pylons):
8x R-27ER
2x R-27ET
6x R-73 RMD-1 / M
10x R-77 / -1
Bombs / guided Bombs, up to:
6x KAB 500KR
3x KAB-1500KR /L
8x FAB-500T
28x OFAB-250-270
32x FAB-100-120
Air-to-Ground Missiles, up to:
6x Kh-29T / TE / L
6x Kh-31AD (upgraded Anti-Ship missile)
6x Kh-31PD (upgraded Anti-Radiation missile)
2x Kh-59ME* / MK (*requires APK-9ME Datalink pod)
4x S-25L
Unguided Rockets (in total), up to:
80x S-8 (4 pods)
20x S-13 (4 pods)
4x S-25 (2x twin pod)
Note: Distribution on 12 Pylons in total, so here a lil A2A example: 4x R-73 + 2x R-77 + 4x R-27ER (or 2x ER + 2x ET) + 2x ECM wing-tip pods
Specifications and Internal:
Spoiler
Status: SM2 modification will be in Production soon / SMs will be modernized to SM2
Service introduction Su-30SM: 12th January 2018 (doesnt matter anyway)
more than 600 Su-30s (all variants) built so far (120-130 Su-30SM in Russian Air and Naval Forces service so far)
General characteristics
Crew: 2
Length: 21.935 m
Wingspan: 14.7 m
Height: 6.36 m
Wing area: 62.0 m2
Empty weight: 17,700 kg
Loaded weight: 24,900 kg (without external fuel tanks)
Max. takeoff weight: 34,500 kg
Powerplant: 2 × AL-31FP
(static) Dry thrust: 74,5kN each
(static) Thrust with afterburner: 122,58kN each
Fuel capacity: 5.264 kg (enough for 1,96 hours without refueling)
Performance
Maximum speed is Mach 1.9:
1350km/h at sea level
2100km/h at altitude
Operation celling is set at 17.300m
Range (4 missiles loaded):
1270km at sea level
3,000 km at altitude
Service ceiling: 17,300 m
Rate of climb: 230 m/s
Wing loading: 401 kg/m2 with 5.264 kg fuel (468.3 kg/m2 with full internal fuel)
Thrust/weight:
With external fuel tanks (9.400 kg): 0.86
With (100%) 5.264 kg fuel: 1.00
Maximum g-load: +9g / -3g
Note: The AL-31FP was only 110Kg heavier and 0.4 m longer than the AL-31F (engine used in Su-27S and many other of the Su-27 family), while the thrust remains the same. Machines with AL-31F can be upgraded to AL-31FP without any changes to the airframe.
Countermessures:
HC-30MK (APP-50*) gives the Su-30SM a total 98 Flares / Chaffs, or 196 Flares or Chaffs, of caliber 50mm
2x L-175M Khibiny-M ECM jammer pods (mounted on wing tips, wing tip pylons for R-73 cant be used while having the ECM pods)
Other:
IRST OLS-30 (izdeliye 52Sh)
120° FOV
Azimuth: +/- 60°
Elevation: 60° / -15°
Big search field: 60° x 10°
Small search field: 20° x 5°
Close combat mode: 3° x 3° (vertical)
Detection Range: min. 90km rear-aspect and min. 30km all-aspect
Laser
Laser range: up to 8km
Rangefinder: 0.3 - 10km
Crew Helmet: SURA-M HMTDS (R-73 allows up to 60° off-bore sight)
OEPrNK-30SM electro-optic fire controll and navigation system
Wide-Angle Head-Up-Display IKSh-1M
SPO-15LM (L006LM)
Missile Warning System for ARH, SARH, SAM and IR
laser warning sensors
ultraviolet irradiation sensors (so you get a warning for any typ of missile thats being fired on you)
*Found an article about “Indonesian Air Force Su-30MK2 released Flare Melepaskan”, they use APP-50 dispenders on thier jets, which means that PPI-50-3-110 and PPR-50 flares / chaffs are in use, high likely that the Russian use them too but just renamed into HC-30MK
AL-31FP Engines and 3D Thrust-Vectoring:
The AL-31FP feature thrust vectoring control in pitch only with deflection angles up to ±15°. Production standard engines centrainly feature thrust vector controll in pitch and yaw. The axisymmetric thrust rotary nozzles have a diiferntial defelction of up to ±15°; the axis of the rotation of each nozzle being arranged at an angle of 32° respective to each other, facilitating the employment of thrust vectorcontrol in both pitch and yaw axis. JSC Corporation Irkut states: “Depending on the upcomming manouevre, the nozzles may vary in synchronism with horizontal tail assambly or sepreatly from it.”
The nozzle angling can apparently generate what is termed a “side force” when differantial defelction is selected, futher increasing low speed manoeuvrebility.
Also thanks to @EpicBlitzkrieg87 for giving me some information 
[Will add more if there are some (more) important / declassified things]
[PM or comment if a Link or Picture isn´t working]
Sources:
Spoiler
Su-30SM – Su-27 Flanker Family
https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/su-30sm-multirole-fighter-aircraft/
Sukhoi Su-30 (Flanker-C) Two-Seat, Twin-Engine Air Superiority / Strike Fighter Aircraft
Bars Radar | PDF | Military Technology | Microwave Technology
BVR AESA Radars Give IAF Complete Superiority -- IMR May 2015 Issue | PRLog
Su-30SM/Su-30SM1 Multirole Fighter Aircraft, Russia | Thai Military and Asian Region
https://www.uacrussia.ru/en/aircraft/lineup/military/su-30sm/
http://www.military-today.com/aircraft/su_30.htm
https://en.performancegunworks.com/2161-russian-fighter-su-30sm-history-and-performance-char.html
Sukhoi Su-30SM Fighter Jet: Specs, Price, Cockpit & Details
https://www.deagel.com/Protection Systems/Khibiny/a002981
https://airplanesdaily.com/sukhoi-su-30sm-fighter-jet/
Sukhoi Su-30MK2 TNI AU Sukses Uji Flare dengan APP-50 Dispenser
http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-Rus-ASM.html#mozTocId411192
Sukhoi Flankers - The Shifting Balance of Regional Air Power
PDF Document (Russian, used for IRST / OEPS)
PDF Document - The Military Balance 2021
PDF Document - Russian and Chinese Combat Air Trends
[ https://www.tara-aerospace.com/datasheets/datasheet_PPI-50-3-110.pdf ]
Books (sorted by priority):
-Sukhoi Su-30 Super-Manoeuvrable Family: Su-30MKI / MKM / MKI (A) / SM - Hugh Harkins - Publishing 2016
-Sukhoi Su-27 - Yefim Gordon - Midland Publishing 2007
-Soviel Cold War Fighters - Alexander Mladenov - Publishing 2015
