So, let's recall that the Pentagon plans to purchase 144 F-15EX 4+ generation aircraft for a total of $23 billion. And this is in the presence of the aircraft of the 5th generation, in parallel with the operation of the F-22 and the procurement of the F-35. This is motivated by the fact that the F-15EX is cheaper, has a lower cost of a flight hour, will require lower costs for re-equipping combat units flying on the F-15 of previous modifications, and in the EX version it has tactical and technical characteristics that still meet the requirements of the Air Force.

But these are not all the pros. One of the important arguments was that there is no need to finance a significant part of the development work on the F-15EX, which was previously actually paid for by the countries where this aircraft was exported - Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Recall that the development of the F-15 aircraft was completed back in 1972, and in 1976 its deliveries to the US Army began. In 2004, purchases ceased as production of 5th generation aircraft began. However, export supplies remained, thanks to which the aircraft continued the modernization, gradually approaching the EX version, seventeen years later ordered by the Pentagon. On March 10th, 2021, the US Air Force received the first F-15EX from the industry.

All this is reminiscent of a "Hollywood remake", filmed based on a Russian plot - the history of the Su-30 aircraft. As you know, this aircraft is an advanced representative of the extensive Su-27 family, the first flight of the prototype of which took place in 1977, and in 1982 its deliveries to aviation units began. Su-30 is a two-seat modification of Su-27, the first public demonstration of which took place at an air show in 1992. Alas, then, after the collapse of the USSR, in a state of economic chaos, the country had no time to purchase combat aircraft.

However, the participation of the Su-30 in exhibitions interested foreign buyers. It was decided to supply the Su-30 abroad, as a result of which work began on export modifications of the aircraft. The most advanced aircraft in the large family of the Su-30 was the Su-30MKI (Modernized Commercial Indian) variant. Equipped with a fairly wide range of weapons, the Su-30MKI is capable of destroying air targets (including objects with low radar signature) in close combat, also conducting preemptive battles at a long distance. This multi-role fighter can attack ground and surface targets with guided and unguided weapons at tactical and operational depth.

For the first time in the world, an AL-31FP engine with a controlled thrust vector, created at the Research and Development centre named after A. Lulka, and also a remote control system included in a single control loop. This solution made it possible to implement the capabilities of super-manoeuvrability modes on the Su-30MKI. By the way, over the past quarter of a century, not a single serial foreign fourth-generation fighter, including the F-15EX, has received a controlled thrust vector. Western manufacturers and the press supported by them assured the public of its "uselessness". However, the American fifth-generation fighters F-22A and F-35B still use rotary nozzle engines, which speaks for itself.

For the first time in the practice of the Sukhoi Design Bureau, a wide integration of airborne avionics systems of domestic and foreign production was carried out on a fighter. By order of India, an "international" complex of onboard radio-electronic equipment was created for the Su-30MKI, which included complexes and systems of 14 foreign companies from 6 countries of the world. The range of aviation weapons was significantly expanded due to the RVV-AE air-to-air missile system, air-to-ground class: Kh-59M, Kh-31A / P and Kh-29L / T / TE, as well as KAB corrected aerial bombs -500 and KAB-1500.

The open architecture of the avionics makes it possible to constantly expand the arsenal of weapons used. And the Su-30MKI is the world's first serial aircraft, where a radio detection and ranging equipment with a rotary headlight - "Bars", created by the Research Institute of Instrument Engineering, was installed. In addition, a new ejection seat K-36D-3.5 and a number of other new Russian-developed systems were mounted on the fighter.

A total of 272 Su-30MKIs were delivered to India: through foreign trade - 50 aircraft completely assembled in Russia, the remaining 222 - in the form of technological kits assembled at the HAL corporation plant in Bangalore. At the same time, the combat units armed with the Su-30MKI are the most numerous and efficient in the Indian Air Force. Aircraft of this type are used by twelve squadrons out of a total of about thirty fully equipped and combat-ready.

The family of aircraft based on the Su-30MKI was constantly expanding. By order of Algeria, a modification of the Su-30MKA was developed, for Malaysia - the Su-30MKM.

This went on for almost 20 years, during which the aircraft developed thanks to foreign customers. As a result, the export vehicles became the basis for the development of the Su-30SM modification, which in 2012 began entering the Russian Air Force. In total, over 110 aircraft were delivered to the Aerospace Forces and aviation of the Russian Navy. In addition, the Su-30SM were acquired by Russia's allies in the CSTO: Armenia - 4 units, Belarus - 4 (12 ordered), Kazakhstan - 24 (36). The promotion of the export version of the aircraft, the Su-30SME, to the market continues.

As you can see, the F-15EX largely repeats the path traveled by the Su-30SM. The same development due to export deliveries and access to a technical level, when the aircraft becomes interesting to its military.

It should be noted that both aircraft are two-seaters. Both in Russia and overseas they understand that in many combat situations the presence of a second crew member is an important advantage of these aircraft. First, it greatly facilitates and speeds up the training process for flight personnel. Secondly, the two-seater fighter is capable of performing a wider range of missions. The Su-30SM is probably the most balanced combat aviation complex in service with the two types of the Russian Armed Forces, and is capable of performing both air-to-air missions and striking land and sea targets.

This is how Dave Majumdar, editor of The National Interest magazine on military issues (September 2015), wrote succinctly and quite accurately at the very beginning of the air operation of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria: «The fact that Russia sent Su-30SM to Syria is quite logical. This aircraft carries a powerful combat load and has an excellent range. Moreover, it is multipurpose and can be used both in air combat and to combat ground targets. This means that it does not need combat escort fighters. In addition, the crew of the Su-30SM consists of two people, which is very useful when performing complex tasks. For the same reason, the US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle and the US Navy F / A-18F Super Hornet, which in many respects are direct analogues of the Su-30SM, are also two-seaters».

So, the solution of the problem of detection, identification and aiming is assigned to the operator, who is freed from the functions of controlling the aircraft and assessing the air situation. Here is what a member of the Su-30SM crew says about the aircraft's operation in Syria: «The aviation complex allows you to simultaneously perform a mission on the ground and in the air. We have a "separate" mode, where the pilot can aim in the air, survey the airspace, and at the same time the navigator can carry out the task of striking the ground».

In counter-terrorist conflicts, strike missions are complicated by the absence of a front line, the pinpoint nature of the targets, the proximity of the enemy and its troops (or civilians). Here are the words of the navigator of the Su-30SM aircraft: «We use various types of weapons, ranging from guided aerial bombs to unguided aerial bombs. Directly, as a navigator, I am engaged in navigation, I am responsible for combat use, I am responsible for ensuring that our crew goes to a given area, at a given time, and delivers a pinpoint strike a second per second with minimal deviations from coordinates».

The factor of multi-functionality is extremely important for the air forces of small states, such as Belarus and Armenia, which cannot afford to have a large fleet of combat aircraft with a pronounced specialization. And for Kazakhstan, with its vast territory, in addition to this, the large range of action of these heavy fighters is also important. Su-30SM, with its unique combat qualities today, make it possible to create compact aviation groups for solving various tasks.

So, in the conditions of the limited Russian grouping in Syria, the versatility of the Su-30SM turned out to be a sought-after quality: «The main difference is that our aviation complex can simultaneously, I emphasise the word “simultaneously”, strike on the ground and in the air. The bomber, when striking at ground targets, needs cover. Our Su-30SM simultaneously attacks a ground target and provides air cover. All this is due to the precise and well-coordinated work of the crew?» - says the pilot of the Russian Aerospace Forces - a participant in the operation in Syria.

The factor of having two crew members is also critical when there is no support from AWACS aircraft and ground-based systems for lighting the air situation. Note that this was exactly the case in Syria at the initial phase of the operation. Under these conditions, the Su-30SM aircraft with its powerful radar takes over some of the functions of detecting air targets, and the navigator analyzes the situation and controls the group of aircraft.

In addition, it is easier for a crew of two to carry out long flights over landless terrain: desert, polar ice, ocean. This is a serious psychological or even somatomental factor that played a role in the choice of the Su-30SM as the main new aircraft for the naval aviation of the Russian Navy.

Undoubtedly, the results of the training air battles of the Indian and Malaysian Su-30MKI / MKM, when they participated in international military exercises (Red Flag, etc.), also influenced the decision of the Americans to purchase the F-15EX. Sukhoi aircraft more than once won victories over F-15, F-16, Rafale, Typhoon and even, according to some sources, F-22. In close combat, the Su-30s achieved complete superiority due to their super-manoeuvrability, and in long-range battles they gained the upper hand thanks to a powerful radar.

Brigadier General Matt Mollow, commander of the 18th wing of the US Air Force, following the results of training battles with the Su-30MKM of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, said this about Russian aircraft: «We flew with Sukhoi one-on-one, in line of sight and outside it, performed a large number of tasks. As expected, their new planes performed well. In flight, they showed tremendous manoeuvrability during basic combat manoeuvres. In the course of the missions in the absence of direct visibility, the fighters showed command of the situation in the air».

After exercises in the UK in 2015, British participants called the Su-30MKI the strongest combat aircraft created outside the NATO bloc. And the commander of the Indian Air Force, Ashu Srivastav, said that in close-range air battles, the Su-30MKI won the duels against Typhoon with a score of 12:0. He also added that in group battles, the advantage of the Su-30MKI remains, although now it is no longer as overwhelming as it was before.

As you can see, the Su-30MKI and Su-30SM were a reference point for the United States both in the strategy for implementing the F-15EX program, and in the development of its technical characteristics, and in the development of tactics for combat use. Now, when the pursuers are beginning to «breathe in the back of the head», Russian designers need to take the next step forward. Experts note that the «open architecture» of the Su-30SM avionics creates the preconditions for further building up its combat capabilities in the course of modernization through the integration of new electronic systems and aircraft weapons. The press reported on the upcoming modernization of the Su-30MKI under the Super-30 program, which provides for the improvement of avionics and, in particular, the airborne radar.

Another direction of modernization is equipping aircraft with long-range supersonic missiles, as evidenced by the preparation for the implementation of the program of equipping the Su-30MKI of the Indian Air Force with heavy supersonic missiles Brahmos. The Su-30MKI-Brahmos complex has no analogues in the world and provides long-range destruction of targets protected by the most modern air defense systems.

The appearance of the previously announced modification of the «thirty» - Su-30SM2 is also expected. This aircraft will differ in the composition of onboard equipment and weapons. The new modification is being created in accordance with the requirements of the Russian military, and so far there is practically no information about its characteristics. We also do not have reliable information about the readiness level of the Su-30SM2. Meanwhile, various Internet sources report the assembly of a prototype and even the beginning of its flight tests (February of this year).

Obviously, when creating the Su-30SM2, the appearance of such a competitor as the F-15EX is also taken into account. Apparently, presumably, the previously used AL-31FP engines with 12.5 ton afterburner thrust will give way to the more powerful AL-41F-1S (14.5 tons), previously tested on the Su-35S. This will provide an increase in thrust of four tons in the «Full Afterburner» mode. Replacing the power plant will give the Su-30SM2 a thrust-to-weight ratio comparable to the corresponding figure for the F-15EX with F110-GE-129 engines (13.2 tons of thrust each).

Thus, it can be stated that the military of the two countries - the largest military powers of the world, came to the unanimous conclusion that the two-seat multifunctional combat aviation complexes of the 4+ generation are an effective addition to the 5th generation aircraft, and in the coming decades they will be guaranteed to solve the tasks assigned to them.  And we will have the opportunity to further study and compare their characteristics and, possibly, the results of combat use. Although the latter, nevertheless, would be better to avoid.