Shortly after the Su-27's teething issues were resolved upon entering service, one problem arose. While the Soviet VVS loved the new Flanker, the Soviet PVO expressed dislike for the Su-27, as it still did not have enough range for the Soviet PVO. The Air Defense Forces (PVO) needed to cover the vast expanse of the Soviet Union, and the early models of the Flankers proved inadequate in fuel capacity and radar range for this task. Hence, development began in 1986 on the Su-27PU, an improved-capability variant of the Su-27 capable of serving as a long-range interceptor and possibly as an airborne command post. The two-seat Su-27UB combat trainer was selected as the basis for the new Su-27PU (Punkt Upravlenija - "Control Point" or Perechvatcik Uchebnyj - "Interceptor Trainer".). The first Su-27PU flew at Irkutsk on 31 December 1989, and the first of three pre-production models flew on 14 April 1992. This aircraft would be renamed into the Su-30 shortly after.

Whilst not garnering much attention initially, India would work with Sukhoi to create a specially tailored export version, the Su-30MKI (Modernizirovannyi Kommercheskiy Indiski - "Modernized Commercial Indian") with canards, thrust vectoring, and a mix of advanced western and eastern avionics. The success of the MKI, particularly in its customizability, would spawn a plethora of other export variants for other customers, such as the MKA (Algeria), MKM (Malaysia), and in turn, the Su-30SM (Serijnyi Modernizirovannyi - "Serial Modernized"), a special modernized variant in the mid-2010s for the Russian Air Force incorporating advanced weaponry, avionics, and control systems.

The Su-30SM, introduced in Update "Hornet's Sting", is a modernized take on the venerable Flanker family, incorporating many advanced and powerful weapons found on various previous models of the Su-27 family, including the Su-34, and combining it all with advanced and modernized avionics and sensors to pack a very lethal punch for its battle rating. This, coupled with the advanced control system utilizing canards and thrust vectoring, makes the Su-30SM a very dangerous foe both against threats on the ground and in the air. Capitalizing on all previous experience gained in the Soviet aircraft tree in the flanker family and the Sukhoi strikers, the Su-30 proves to be a true "top tier" fighter for the Soviet tree capable of competing with the best of the aircraft that its adversaries offer, such as the F-15E, Typhoon, and the Rafale.