A mixed air formation of Russia's 4th Air and Air Defense Forces army of the Southern Military District in the Krasnodar territory has received upgraded Su-27SM3 fighter jets, the Southern Military District press service said.

A Su-27SM3 fighter jet seen at MAKS 2017

"The aircraft flew from an aviation plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the Khabarovsk territory. They covered about 10,000 kilometers making just two interim stopovers for refueling at airfields in the Novosibirsk and Chelyabinsk regions," the district went on to say.

The troops of the Southern Military District are planning to increase the share of modern pieces of weapons and military hardware for the ground, naval and air forces to 70% and to 100% for some pieces by the end of 2020.

Su-27SM3 multirole fighter jet (Flanker-B mod3 by NATO classification) is designed to gain supremacy in air and deliver strikes at ground and surface targets by using various arms, including guided weapons. The aircraft’s efficiency to hit air and ground targets has increased 2 and 3 times than in the basic Su-27 variant. Su-27SM3 has two additional stations under the wing and a much stronger airframe. The aircraft is equipped with new onboard radio-electronic systems and a wider range of applicable air weapons. The aircraft’s cockpit has multifunctional displays.