Malaysia shows ECM pods, missiles for its Su-30s for the first time

Click on image for high resolution. Image © Iwan from Malaysianwings

The above photo was snapped by Malaysian plane spotter Iwan during the Malaysian Armed Forces 80th Anniversary Parade held at Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur on the 21st of September 2013. This aircraft, serialled M52-03, was one of 4 Sukhoi Su-30MKM Flankers that took part in a flypast held in conjunction with the parade. What is interesting about this aircraft is that it shows in public, for the first time, the Russian Knirti SPS-171 / L005S Sorbtsiya-S mid/high band defensive jammer pods Malaysia was known to have purchased with its Flankers.

Also on show, albeit mounted on flatbed trailers towed by prime movers as part of the ground portion of the parade, were several types of advanced missiles, also for the Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia's (Royal Malaysian Air Force) Su-30MKMs. Noted were the Vympel R-77 medium range active radar-guided air-to-air missile, Raduga Kh-59ME and Molniya Kh-29TE air-to-surface missiles and the Zvezda Kh-31P Anti-Radiation Missile, the latter the equivalent of the AGM-88 HARM (High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile) for use against enemy radars in the Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defence role.

These equipment were known to have been ordered by Malaysia in the original contract for the TUDM's 18 Su-30MKMs signed in 2003, with the first aircraft being delivered in 2007 with deliveries completed in 2009. All 18 aircraft serve with the TUDM's 11 Skuadron at Gong Kedak Airbase in the northeastern part of Peninsular Malaysia.