Su-30MK2 is currently the most powerful fighter of the Vietnam People's Air Force
It performs almost every function from air superiority, airspace patrol, to ground and surface attack through guided and unguided weapons
According to reports, Vietnam owns 35 Su-30MK2 aircraft, the most in Southeast Asia, the last one was delivered in 2016
The Su-30MK2 multi-role fighter aircraft is an improved version of the Su-30MKK, a member of the Su-30 aircraft family
The aircraft was developed by Sukhoi in 2002 and is manufactured by Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association
In addition to Vietnam, the aircraft are operational with Indonesia, Uganda, Venezuela and China
The Su-30MK2 combat aircraft offers superior manoeuvrability
and can be deployed to engage manned and unmanned aerial vehicles, medium- and short-range guided missiles
high-precision munitions, and other airborne weapons
It can also be used in aerial reconnaissance and training missions
The Su-30MK2 fighter has a length of 21.9m, a height of 6.4m and wing-span of 14.7m
The maximum and limit take-off weights are 34.5 tons and 38 tons respectively, and the payload carrying capacity is 8 tons
The Su-30MK2 is fitted with an in-flight refuelling system for extended flight range
The open architecture of the aircraft allows for installation of a variety of combat equipment and an improved avionics suite
The digital glass cockpit accommodates two crew members in tandem configuration
It is equipped with new colour multi-functional, digital LCD screens for displaying flight and navigation information and graphical data
It also incorporates electromechanical indicators and advanced navigation and radio communications
The aircraft is also fitted with an infrared search-and-tracking system, a helmet-mounted target designation system, teplopelengator
laser range-finder and a target designator for detection and tracking of air and ground targets
The optoelectronic sighting systems provide improved surveillance capabilities
The airborne radar aboard the Su-30MK2 is capable of searching and designating aerial targets, as well as short and medium-range guided missiles
It is also used to measure co-ordinates of ground-based radio-contrast targets
The Su-30MK2 multi-role combat aircraft is powered by two Saturn AL-31F Afterburning turbofan engines
which generate a thrust of 74.5 kN each, and 122.58 kN with afterburner
The aircraft can fly at a maximum speed of Mach 2, with a horizontal speed of 1,400km/h
The unrefuelled range of the fighter is 3,000km
The in-flight refuelling system provides a flight range of up to 5,600km
The maximum altitude of the aircraft is 17,300m
In terms of weapon configuration, Su-30MK2 is equipped with powerful guided missiles such as Kh-29L or Kh-29TE
With a range of 30 km, carrying a warhead weighing up to 320 kg, it is enough to sink a large warship with just a single shot
Besides air-to-surface attack missiles, the Su-30MK2 when performing these missions can still carry air-to-air missiles
such as R-73E or R-27R to defend themselves against enemy fighters
It also integrates a built-in, 30mm GSh-301 automatic, single-barrelled gun with 150 rounds of ammunition
The strongest attack configuration ever seen on Vietnamese Su-30MK2s was at the live-fire exercise of the 935th Air Force Regiment in 2007
The Su-30MK2 participating in this event belongs to a batch of 4 aircraft received the first batch in 2004
it carries up to 2 Kh-31A short-range supersonic anti-ship missiles at the heavy weapons hard point just below the air intake
Currently, the Kh-31A is still the main anti-ship weapon of the Su-30MK2 fighter, it has a range of 50 km, armed with a 95 kg warhead