Su-30K fighters with the factory index 10-4PK have been spotted in service with Ethiopia. Most likely, we are talking about six combat aircraft that India returned to Russia, military expert Evgeny Damantsev noted.
He recalled that the Su-30K was built at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant under agreements of 1996 and 1998 and delivered to India in 1997-1998. However, after 10 years, they were returned in exchange for the supply of full-fledged Su-30MKI.
Six Su-30K aircraft remained in storage at the 558th Aircraft Repair Plant in Baranovichi. Now it is obvious that Ethiopia became their buyer in the end.
The fate of the remaining 12 aircraft is also known — they were transferred to Angola back in 2017 after being upgraded.
Damantsev noted that the rare Su-30K modification is equipped with a weapon control system with an open architecture, which allows adapting the use of R-77 air-to-air missiles. It is also possible to adapt the N011M Bars-R airborne radar station into a combat aircraft.