I seriously need to talk about the Su-30MK series BR. Right now these planes are getting blatant premium handholding and it is ruining the matchmaker. Here is why 13.3 for the Su-30MK2 and MKK is a joke in ARB.
Look at the kit you get at 13.3. You have AL-31F engines, N001VEP radar, full HMD, and a 2 target datalink. For weapons you can literally run 6 R-77s and 4 R-73s. That is a 10 missile loadout along with 96 large caliber countermeasures.
Now look at other planes at 13.3. The MiG-29SMT has a better radar but only 6 hardpoints and terrible energy retention. The F-16A ADF and MLU get 6 AMRAAMs but lack HMD, have weaker engines, and barely any countermeasures. The JF-17 only gets 4 SD-10s and lacks thrust. The Kfir C.10 just has 4 Derbies. The J-11A is the closest comparison but is completely gimped by a single target datalink and Poor RWR.
It gets even worse when you look at 13.7. There are jets there that are literally worse than the Su-30MK. The MiG-29KR is basically an SMT with 2 extra IR missiles and is locked at 13.7 just because it has active radar missiles. The F-16A OCU and AM have no HMS, only 45 countermeasures, and worse engines. Why are these forced to 13.7 while the Su-30 gets a pass at 13.3. Even the Gripens only get 4 active missiles and are still 13.7.
The Su-30MK is basically a Su-27SM or J-11B. It belongs at 13.7 period. Keeping it at 13.3 is pure USSR premium bias.
Su-27SM
Su-30MK2
Ground RB is just as cooked. It sits 0.3 BR lower than the Su-27SM for absolutely no reason. Even before anti radiation missiles were added it was stupid, but now it gets the Kh-31PD. Although, there is zero justification for it to be lower than the SM. If the Su-27SM is 12.7 in GRB, the Su-30MK should be 12.7 too.
People are losing their minds over this thing. It carries a 13.7 toolkit while bullying 13.3 lobbies. It needs a nerf.
kinda of true for even the 13.0 su27, compare it to the 12.7 or even 13.0 mig29s, and you get double the missiles and maybe plus r73s for 0.3 or no br increase
12.3-13.3 is just horrifically compressed with many such comparisons
Same BR as the Kfir C.10 which has only 4 hardpoints, its derby has way less range, less countermeassures, worse engine, and doesnt even have IRCCM missiles.
I have to point out that the F-16 radar is among the best non aesa radars, even if they lack HMD. Not saying they are on par with the su-30mk but the 13.3 Flanker’s radar is their biggest downside.
The Mig-29SMT/M/KR radar has a very nice horizontal FOV, but the scan speed is kinda slow too.
And AESA radar. Thats why it is 13.3 and not 13.0.
J-11A is also very strong for 13.3. The RWR might be subpar but its still serviceable, you get MAWS which helps in that aspect. And the FM is better.
If the premium Su-30 goes to 13.7, the J-11A must follow and go back to 13.7 too.
The SMT also has ARH… The 29KR is 13.7 because the FM is much better than the SMT, and more missiles. Its a sidegrade from the 29M which is also at 13.7.
Agreed, they should be 13.3, not 13.7
No, both of these have considerably better FM’s. The Su-27SM can carry 12 missiles and the J-11B has a much better radar and RWR + MAWS. Although it has bugged PL-12s currently.
They are very strong at 13.3, but at the same time, not quite on the 13.7 standard. BR compression as usual.
The compression wasn’t addressed yet because it has been printing money
Tell me you didn’t even touched the MiG-29KR without telling me.
KR is miles better than SMT in every way except countermeasure amount, it smokes SMT in every scenario while also has amazing flight performance and can go toe to toe with almost anything at its br.
I actually flew it a few days before the Dev Server closed.
While comparing the MiG-29 directly to the SMT might be a bit inappropriate, the core issue is that besides the radar, there is little merit to choose the MiG-29 family over the Su-27 series.
The problem is further highlighted by the thing that even with the Su-30MK sitting at 13.3, the MiG-29K falls short in areas like high altitude flight performance and missile capacity when you take radar out of the equation. While I admit there are some flaws in comparing the KR and the SMT, the main point stands is the Su-30MKK should, at the very least, be at the exact same BR as that aircraft.
Saying Su-30’s are undertiered are something, claiming 29KR is just SMT with two more missiles is something.
MiG-29KR is speciliazed for low to medium altitude but despite that it performs nice st high altitude, not to mention recent fm changes made this plane pretty much amazing.
Its obvious problem isn’t 29KR itself but the premium Su’s, then again Zhuk radar on 29KR shits on Su-30’s radar in any day.
