Su-30MKK fighters of a certain unit of the Eastern Theater Air Force have frequently appeared in ** reports recently. The military official Weibo of the Central Radio recently released the dynamics of the unit, especially highlighting the scene of the Su-30MKK night training, showing the good combat readiness of this fighter.
The Chinese Air Force began to equip the Su-30MKK in December 2000 and has been in service for almost 23 years. The fighter was the backbone of the Chinese Air Force for the first two decades of this century, and participated in many major operations, including outbound exercises, escort missions, and flights around the island.
Although three of the 76 Su-30MKK introduced by the Chinese Air Force have suffered losses, such a loss rate is still quite low, given the long service of these fighters and the intensive use of them by the Chinese Air Force.
So, what is the reason why these Su-30MKK fighters can still maintain such a high attendance rate after more than two decades?
On December 20, 2000, the Chinese Air Force received the first batch of 10 Su-30MKK fighters, which marked the rearmament of a regiment of the 3rd Air Division from the Su-27 to the Su-30MKK, ushering in a new era.
The Su-30MKK is based on the Su-27UBK, with enhanced air combat capabilities (including the use of active medium-range shells) and integrated Su-24M ground-to-ground attack capabilities. However, compared to contemporaries such as the F-15E, it seems to be somewhat lacking.
Nevertheless, the introduction of the Su-30MKK brought a breakthrough in many aspects to the Chinese Air Force. For example, the fields of active medium-range missiles, precision tactical strikes against the ground, and anti-radiation capabilities have all been initially explored and put into practice.
However, new technologies are not just decorations, they need to be put to practical use on training grounds and on the battlefield. For the first batch of the 30 Air Divisions to receive the Su-3MKK, there are huge challenges. They must comprehensively enhance their combat and support capabilities within the specified time.
"Institutionalized" means that more than just a few good pilots can do it; "Becoming a system" requires that all links can be coordinated and operated, including logistics, support, maintenance, testing, etc. The enhancement of combat capability needs to be fully demonstrated in training and actual combat. In the eyes of the outside world, the level of pilots has the most significant impact on combat capability, but in fact, the overall combat effectiveness of the unit is more closely related to the support capability.
There is an important assessment criterion for the flight unit, that is, the proper rate of the aircraft. In short, how many of the aircraft in the formation of a flight unit will be able to be put into service at the first time. Due to the need for maintenance, upgrades, and upkeeps, aircraft during this period could not maintain combat readiness and perform their missions. Therefore, how to minimize maintenance time and ensure that more aircraft are in good condition poses a challenge to the support capabilities of the troops.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the number of third-generation aircraft of the Chinese Air Force was only a little hundred. Such a "trump card" fighter as the Su-30MKK is particularly precious. For each additional aircraft capable of flying, the combat effectiveness of the Air Force increases by one point. Therefore, in addition to demanding that the 3rd Air Division reach combat effectiveness as soon as possible, the higher-level organs also demanded that they explore a set of systems for domestic support for third-generation aircraft, so as to improve the proper rate of aircraft.
On January 9, 2001, only 20 days after receiving the aircraft, the 3rd Air Division completed the first flight of the Su-30MKK. In June of the same year, the Su-30MKK of the ministry began to perform combat duty duty. By the end of 2001, all 19 Su-30MKK were in place. In March 2002, the unit completed the training of all pilots, and the regiment initially formed combat effectiveness.
With the continuous improvement of combat capability, the ability to support the fleet has also been strengthened. Initially, the work on the support of the Su-30MKK was carried out with the assistance of Russian technical advisers. By the beginning of 2002, the ministry had become familiar with the Su-30MKK's ammunition, avionics, engines and other systems, and began to optimize them according to the support manuals provided by Russia.
As of 2004, the regular inspection time of the domestic Su-30MKK has been shortened by more than half, which has effectively improved the proper rate of aircraft. In addition, after upgrading the infrastructure and optimizing the support procedures for oil and electricity testing, the re-sortie time of the Su-30MKK has generally been shortened by more than 10 minutes.
In the past 20 years, the Su-30MKK has become one of the most reliable ** in the Chinese Air Force with its efficient support capabilities. Especially around 2005, the air force on the other side of China had a certain advantage in the quantity and quality of third-generation aircraft. However, the existence of the Su-30MKK is like a "treasure of the town" of the Chinese Air Force, giving people a glimmer of hope in the darkest moments.
Today, although the core position of the Su-30MKK has been replaced by the J-20 and J-16, this has not affected the attendance of these veterans. This is due to its good support ability and proper cultivation of internal strength. As a result, they will remain in good condition even if they are in service until 2030.