The Spanish Ministry of Defence has released photographs of a Russian Su-30SM2 multirole fighter, taken by the crews of Spanish Air Force F-18M fighters during patrols over the Baltic Sea.
According to the published images, it was a Russian aircraft belonging to Russian Naval Aviation and based in the Kaliningrad Region (4th Mixed Aviation Regiment), blue bort number "81" (registration RF-81885). Of particular interest is its armament: two Kh-31A anti-ship missiles and two RBK-500 series cluster bombs.
This combination is considered unusual for patrols in this region, where Su-30SM aircraft are usually equipped with air-to-air weapons or standard bombs.
The Su-30SM2 is an upgraded version of the Su-30SM, equipped with improved AL-41F-1S engines and updated avionics, making it one of the most combat-capable fighters in service with Russian Naval Aviation.
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