The Ethiopian Armed Forces announced the ceremony of commissioning two Su-30 "first generation" fighters into the Ethiopian Air Force on January 16, 2024 (April 7, 2016 according to Ethiopian chronology). It is stated that this is the "first batch" of Su-30 aircraft being received. The ceremony was attended by the Chief of Staff (Commander-in-Chief) of the Ethiopian Armed Forces, Field Marshal Birhanu Yula.
One of the first two Su-30K fighters received by the Ethiopian Air Force with the tail number "2401", 16.01.2024 (c) Ethiopian Armed Forces
Judging by the photos distributed, two Su-30 aircraft received by the Ethiopian Air Force have Ethiopian tail numbers "2401" and "2402".
According to bmpd, these aircraft are former Su-30K fighters of the Indian Air Force, which apparently indicates that the Russian side was able to sell Ethiopia the last six of the 18 Su-30K fighters returned by India.
The Su-30K (T-10PK) fighters are "transitional" aircraft built as the first 18 machines at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant of JSC Irkut Corporation (now JSC United Aircraft Corporation) for the supply of India under the Su-30MKI program under the agreements of 1996 and 1998. The Su-30K aircraft (serial numbers 04-01 to 04-10 and 05-01 to 05-08) were delivered to the Indian Air Force in 1997-1999, but under an agreement dated December 2005, they were returned by the Indian side to Irkut Corporation in exchange for the supply of 18 new full-fledged Irkutsk-made Su-30MKI fighters to India in 2007.
In July 2011, all 18 Su-30Ks returned by the Indian side were transported from India to JSC 558th Aviation Repair Plant in Baranovichi (Belarus), where they were put into storage for subsequent resale, remaining the property of Irkut Corporation (then UAC). The planes were not returned to the Russian Federation in order to avoid tax payments.
In October 2013, Rosoboronexport JSC signed a contract for Angola to purchase 12 of these 18 former Indian Su-30K fighters on account of a Russian loan. It was reported that initially the delivery of all 12 aircraft was supposed to be made by the beginning of 2017. In fact, the purchased 12 Su-30K aircraft were delivered to Angola only from October 2017 to May 2019 after their repairs and improvements at the 558th ARZ.
The remaining six Su-30K aircraft remained in storage at the 558th ARZ in Baranovichi, and their fate was uncertain. In the late 2010s, there were repeated reports of negotiations between the Russian and Angolan sides regarding their sale to Angola, but this was not realized. Now it is obvious that Ethiopia eventually became their buyer.
The ceremony of commissioning of the Ethiopian Air Force of the first two Su-30K fighters received (tail numbers "2401" and "2402"), 01/16/2024 (c) Ethiopian Armed Forces
