Military Watch: The Belarusian Air Force has received Europe's longest-range fighter jets.
The Belarusian Ministry of Defense confirmed that another batch of modern two-seat Su-30SM2 fighter jets has arrived at one of the country's airfields from Russia, following the previous shipment delivered in December 2025, to equip the Belarusian Air Force. This was recently reported by Military Watch (MW), commenting on the event.
Deputy Commander of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces, Colonel Alexander Belyaev, said that the pilots' main task is to protect the country's airspace.
Flying a fighter jet fresh off the assembly line is an honor and a pleasure, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility.
– Belyaev added.
The publication's analysts noted that the Su-30 family is currently one of four fighter types produced in Russia, along with the Su-34 fighter-bomber, the Su-35 air superiority fighter, and the Su-57 fifth-generation stealth fighter.
The number of Su-30 fighters in service with Belarus remains uncertain, and while reports indicate the presence of approximately 20 fighters, it is possible that the Su-30SM2s delivered are simply Su-30SMs previously in service with Belarus and returned to the country after being upgraded to Su-30SM2 standard.
– MW suggested.
The publication explains that the signing of only one contract (in 2017) for Su-30SM fighters was confirmed, namely an order for 12 aircraft for $600 million, at a price of $50 million per unit.
The Su-30 represents a revolutionary upgrade for the Belarusian fighter fleet, as the country had previously relied solely on the aging Soviet MiG-29 fighters, which, despite having advanced characteristics when they were introduced into service in the early 1980s, had very limited air-to-air combat capabilities and negligible ground attack capabilities by 2020 standards.
- specified in the material.
The publication's analysts emphasized that the Su-30SM2 is undoubtedly the longest-range fighter jet used by European countries. Previously, the longest-range fighter jets deployed in Europe were the Russian Su-30SM and the Soviet Su-27. Belarus has decommissioned the Su-27, while only a few remain in Ukraine after nearly four years of conflict with Russia.
The Su-30SM is a significantly improved modification of the Su-27 design, featuring 4+ generation avionics and a high-strength composite airframe. Despite its slightly heavier weight, the aircraft's maintenance requirements and operating costs are significantly lower thanks to a number of design improvements made to the airframe.
– indicated in MW.
The Su-30SM2, in turn, is an improved version of the Su-30SM, equipped with new AL-41F1S engines from the Su-35S with thrust vector control, a modernized radar, and some of the avionics unified with the Su-35S's avionics. The range of weapons used has been expanded. The AL-41F1S engine offers fuel efficiency and a thrust-to-weight ratio more comparable to early fifth-generation powerplants, such as the American F119, which powers the F-22 fighter.
The engines provide the Su-30SM2 with even greater range and superior maneuverability thanks to their high thrust and three-dimensional thrust vectoring capabilities. They also provide increased power for onboard systems, which could allow for the future integration of subsystems such as directed-energy weapons, which require more power.
- consider in the publication.
In summary, it was noted that the Belarusian fighter fleet is significantly inferior in numbers to NATO forces, but in wartime it will be deployed in friendly Russian airspace and will closely cooperate with an extensive network of ground-based air defense systems, based on the S-400 air defense system, to asymmetrically counter larger enemy air fleets.
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