Su-30MKM Yang Perkasa

               

               
            Uh..Its rainy today. Pretty bored, there's not much that I can do right now. I'm tired of playing games, I've done eating, So I'm gonna make a 3rd post for this blog.  You have known the Su-30MKM in the first post, so now I'm gonna tell you further about it. Basically we all know that this plane is a fighter. It's superior, highly manouverable, have a wide variety of arsenal. Being the most effective air combat platform in this region there's more that it can do, and it's impressive. Here's the list below;

1. A mini tanker
2. An AEW (Airborne Early Warning)
3. Electronic warfare aircrraft (EW)

             First on the list is a mini tanker. Su-30MKM can act as a refueling aircraft. In case of a long range operation, the plane can be fitted with COBHAM 750 buddy refueling pod. Although refueling is not the primary role of this aircraft, it will show its usefulness in a real combat situation whereas the vulnerable RMAF C-130T dedicated tanker did not have the capability to defend itself from enemy aircraft behind enemy lines.

E2-Hawkeye AEW

Secondly, is an (AEW) or Airborne Early Warning capability. As you know, AEW systems were used to monitor aircraft from it's long range radar. Most AEW aircraft can detect target as far as 700km. It's NIIP N011M Bars radar had a range of 400km (longer than most fighter aircraft), so Su-30MKM can be a mini AEW aircraft.

Su-30MKM with ECM pods at each of
its wingtips.

And then, as a EW aircraft. This was just known recently that Malaysian Su-30MKM can conduct Electronic Warfare when their unveiled it's ECM pods on 80th ATM military parade. The pod is KNIRTI SAP-518 jamming pod. When equipped with two of those pod, Su-30MKM can jam enemy radar and destroy it's air defence system with Kh-31P anti-radiation missile. To date, RMAF is not the only airforce to possess such capability in this region. Australia has already operate 12 EA-18G Growler aircraft with dedicated EW role.