LIMA 2017: Russian Knights aerobatic team flies new Su-30SM fighter jets.

The Su-30SM fighter jet is a specialised version of the thrust-vectoring Su-30MKI and MKM variants for the Russian military, fitted with Bars-R radar and the wide-angle HUD.

The Russian Knights received eight Su-30SM multipurpose fighter jets in the fall of 2016 from Irkut Aircraft Corporation. Over a short period of time, the pilots have mastered a program of demonstrative flights that includes new elements whose performance has been facilitated by the Su-30SM’s super-maneuverability. A quartet of Su-30SM fighter jets is performing aerobatics at the Malaysian aerospace show.

The Russian Defense Ministry has been purchasing Su-30SM fighter jets for the country’s Aerospace Force and Naval Aviation since 2011.

The country's state defense order for Su-30SM planes has exceeded 110 planes, with over a half of them already delivered to Russian military.