Russian Su-30SM fighter jet crashes in Syria killing crew

Russian Su-30SM fighter jet crashes in Syria killing crew

By Dario Leone
May 3 2018
Share this article

The Su-30SM crashed on Thursday morning shortly after takeoff from Hmeymim air base in Latakia province

On May 3, 2018 a Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter jet has crashed in Syria killing both members of its crew.

According Russian military the jet crashed on Thursday morning shortly after takeoff from Hmeymim air base in Latakia province.

The defence ministry in Moscow was quoted as saying the two crew members had tried in vain to save the plane until the last moment.

“According to preliminary information, the reason for the aviation disaster could have been birds getting into the engine,” the RIA news agency cited Moscow as saying. “The plane was not struck by any projectile.”

As reported by The Guardian this crash brings Russia’s official military losses in Syria to 86.

The most recent acknowledged military loss occurred in March when an Antonov An-26 transport plane crashed on landing at Hmeymim airbase killing all 39 people on board.

Russian nationals are also regularly serving as paid mercenaries in Syria and taking on dangerous missions that often lead to casualties.

The Su-30, which is regarded as the premier Russian Air and Space Force (RuASF) fighter, can be armed with a large array of air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons and has been a subject to incremental upgrades.

Developed by JSC Sukhoi Design Bureau for the RuASF, the Su-30SM is an advanced derivative of the Su-30MK. The aircraft was designed in accordance with the requirements of the RuASF and is being manufactured by IRKUT. The first RuASF Su-30SM performed its maiden flight in September 2012.

Photo credit: Alex Beltyukov via Wikipedia


Share this article

Dario Leone

Dario Leone

Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Share this article


Share this article
Share this article

Always up to date! News and offers delivered directly to you!

Get the best aviation news, stories and features from The Aviation Geek Club in our newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.



    Share this article
    Back to top
    My Agile Privacy
    This website uses technical and profiling cookies. Clicking on "Accept" authorises all profiling cookies. Clicking on "Refuse" or the X will refuse all profiling cookies. By clicking on "Customise" you can select which profiling cookies to activate. We and our selected ad partners can store and/or access information on your device, such as cookies, unique identifiers, browsing data. You can always choose the specific purposes related to profiling by accessing the advertising preferences panel, and you can always withdraw your consent at any time by clicking on "Manage consent" at the bottom of the page.

    List of some possible advertising permissions:

    You can consult: our list of advertising partners, the Cookie Policy and the Privacy Policy.
    Warning: some page functionalities could not work due to your privacy choices