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The designation Su-30 is actually used for an entire family of heavy fighter-bombers that was widely exported. The Su-30SM is an Irkutskmanufactured variant, custom-tailored for the VKS, equipped with the RLSU-30MK-R Bars-R (N001M-R) radar, with Indian-made computers, the French Thales HUD3022 (expected to be replaced by the Russian IKSh-1M on the SM-3), and the Russian IFF-system and L-150 Pastel RWR. The aircraft that arrived in Syria in September 2015 had their national insignia crudelly overpainted, while service titles were re-applied two months later. They were frequently equipped with the KNIRTI SAP-518 wingtip ECM-pods, but still lacked R-77s: a batch of these was hurriedly acquired and deployed only after the downing of the Su-24. In early 2018, a batch of Su-30SMs of the Naval Aviation was sighted as deployed at Hmeimim AB, including the Bort ‘47 Blue’ illustrated in the inset (Notably, they wore the corresponding service title on their fins and the Russian Navy’s ensign behind the rear cockpit). By that time, obsolete R-27Rs were almost completely replaced by R-77s. (Artworks by Tom Cooper)