Upgraded Su-30 SM Fighter Employs Electronic Warfare to Seek Close to F-35 5th Gen Fighter
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-By Jyoti Prakash
Soon after the Italian F-35s started conducting Air patrols with the Allies. One of these patrols is when the interception happened. An Italian F-35 being flown by a Falco pilot was intercepted by a Russian Su-30SM when the F-35 approached a Russian An-12 military cargo plane. The Russian pilot's actions were characterised as ‘defiant’ by the Italian pilot, who expressed surprise at the Su-30SM's abrupt entrance out of nowhere.
The F-35's detection and warning systems repeatedly failed during the interception requiring multiple system reboots. The Italian pilot turned the plane 30 degrees in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures & Protocols to maintain a safe distance.
The Russian pilot flying the Su30SM Air superiority fighter appeared to be evaluating the American F-35's capabilities, and at one point the Su-30SM flew smoothly next to the F-35 without performing any additional risky manoeuvres. The Su-30SM eventually disengaged and stopped posing a threat to the F-35.
The incident draws attention to the ongoing hostilities and exchanges in the Baltic region between NATO and Russian military forces. These encounters serve as a reminder of the difficulties that contemporary air forces must overcome as well as the ongoing advancement of cutting-edge electronic warfare and aircraft capabilities technologies.
Such sparring of 4th Gen vs 5th Gen Technologies can also act as a boon for INDIA since it operates around 272 Su30MKIs and is looking to arm its Flanker H variant with Brahmos Anti Ship Cruise Missiles.
India can take a leaf out of this interception & arm its Sukhoi Su30MKIs with indigenously developed Electronic Warfare systems in expanding capabilities of Indian Airforce giving a major headache to India’s adversaries in both eastern & western borders.
An Upgraded Russian Su-30SM could have used electronic warfare equipment to intercept an Italian F-35 over the Baltic Sea, according to a Bulgarian military website when NATO sent F-35As from the Italian Air Force to Estonia on May 9, 2022, as part of the "air policing" operation to strengthen security in the Baltic region amid tensions with Russia.
Soon after the Italian F-35s started conducting Air patrols with the Allies. One of these patrols is when the interception happened. An Italian F-35 being flown by a Falco pilot was intercepted by a Russian Su-30SM when the F-35 approached a Russian An-12 military cargo plane. The Russian pilot's actions were characterised as ‘defiant’ by the Italian pilot, who expressed surprise at the Su-30SM's abrupt entrance out of nowhere.
The F-35's detection and warning systems repeatedly failed during the interception requiring multiple system reboots. The Italian pilot turned the plane 30 degrees in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures & Protocols to maintain a safe distance.
But the Su30SM persisted in its aggressive behaviour and flew close to F35 & once missed the F35’s Wings in a “Unhealthy” flying tactic, a term often used by Airforces across the world.
The Russian pilot flying the Su30SM Air superiority fighter appeared to be evaluating the American F-35's capabilities, and at one point the Su-30SM flew smoothly next to the F-35 without performing any additional risky manoeuvres. The Su-30SM eventually disengaged and stopped posing a threat to the F-35.
The incident draws attention to the ongoing hostilities and exchanges in the Baltic region between NATO and Russian military forces. These encounters serve as a reminder of the difficulties that contemporary air forces must overcome as well as the ongoing advancement of cutting-edge electronic warfare and aircraft capabilities technologies.
Such sparring of 4th Gen vs 5th Gen Technologies can also act as a boon for INDIA since it operates around 272 Su30MKIs and is looking to arm its Flanker H variant with Brahmos Anti Ship Cruise Missiles.
India can take a leaf out of this interception & arm its Sukhoi Su30MKIs with indigenously developed Electronic Warfare systems in expanding capabilities of Indian Airforce giving a major headache to India’s adversaries in both eastern & western borders.