Problems encountered while transplanting the AL-41F-1S engine from the Su-35 fighter into the more popular Su-30SM aircraft could be delaying the development of Su-30SM2 jet dubbed ‘Super Sukhoi’.
The Russian ministry of defense (MoD) has already signed a contract for the supply of some 24 Su-30s in the SM2 version. This was announced last year by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu who had stated that the first flight of the Su-30SM2 would take place at the end of 2020. However, till date, there is no word whether a test-flight-ready Su-30SM2 has been assembled.
While the AL-41F-1S engine is one of the modernization elements, its successful installation will open the doors for the installation of the Irbis radar (also from the Su-35) and new air-to-ground hypersonic weapons being developed as part of the “Adapation-Su” project, which aims at developing altogether new weapons for the Su-class of warplanes.
Compared to the current AL-31FP power plant of the Su-30SM, the AL-41F-1S’ thrust has been increased by 16%, up to 14,500 kgf. The service life of the aircraft engine will be doubled at up to 4 thousand hours, without increasing the mass and dimensions.