SIMFEROPOL, January 17. /TASS/. The crews of Su-30SM fighter jets of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet practiced detecting and striking enemy warships with cruise missiles during drills in the Black Sea, the Fleet’s press office reported on Friday.
Under the drills’ scenario, the Black Sea Fleet’s command and control center has received a report from its ship directly tracking a notional enemy’s warship that the enemy might employ cruise missiles.
"The coordinates of the aggressor ship’s location have been transmitted to the pair of quick reaction alert Su-30SM fighters staying in the air. The pilots of the multirole fighters altered their patrolling route, detected and destroyed the naval target," the press office said in a statement.
The drills were held without actually employing the armament, the statement says.
"The pilots practiced heading for an attack, aiming and firing missile and bombing armament, using specified coordinates," the press office said.
The Su-30SM is a generation 4++ serial-produced and upgraded two-seat super-maneuverable fighter jet. The Su-30SM is furnished with two AL-31FP thrust-vectoring reheated double-flow turbofan engines. The fighter has an operating range of 1,500 km and a flight endurance of 3.5 hours without refueling.