On September 27, a new round of conflict broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Experts believe that if the war escalates, Armenia is likely to dispatch Su-30SM.
But according to Yerevan’s official news, the Azerbaijani army and the Turkish army are actively using various types of fighters and drones to attack, especially the Su-25 and F-16; however, Armenia still has not used the Su-30SM.
In 2018, Armenia proposed to Russia to purchase at least 12 Su-30SM fighter jets, but currently only 4 are deployed. Although the combat performance is better than the F-16, the number is still unable to cope with the war.
So far, two Armenian Air Force Su-30SM fighters are known to be "hiding" in the Russian air base in Yerevan to avoid possible tactical attacks.
On the contrary, armed conflict resulted in massive losses in the air defense system of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. According to assessments, during the battle, 80% of the short, medium and long-range air defense systems, including the S-300PT air defense missiles, were destroyed by the Azerbaijani and Turkish forces.
This allows Azerbaijan’s fighters and drones to move freely in the area without worry, while Armenia does not have many fighters capable of performing interception and air combat missions. Without air support, Armenia’s military operations and counterattacks on the ground are Is completely useless.
