Russian Su-30SM fighters, in service with Armenia, were shown for the first time with Iranian Yasin guided aerial bombs. The demonstration took place during a parade in Yerevan, where the Armenian military presented the updated capabilities of its combat aviation and effectively confirmed the integration of Iranian weaponry on Russian aircraft. This was reported by Defence Security Asia.
After the delivery of four Su-30SMs from Russia in 2019–2020, the aircraft were long criticized for the lack of a full set of weaponry. This issue was particularly acutely discussed after the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, when the fighters practically did not participate in combat operations.
According to the publication, the Yasin bomb belongs to the class of high-precision gliding munitions. It is equipped with a satellite and inertial navigation system, and its range of application under favorable conditions can reach 120 kilometers. This allows the carrier to strike targets without entering the engagement zone of some enemy air defense systems.
In fact, this is not only about the appearance of new ammunition but also about the transformation of the Su-30SM into a full-fledged strike platform. If previously these aircraft were often called one of Armenia's most controversial military acquisitions, now they have a real opportunity to perform tasks of high-precision target engagement at a significant distance, the publication notes.