In 1994–1996, an initial batch of five original Su-30 (Su-27PU) fighters, contracted for the Russian Defence Ministry, were delivered to 54th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment based at Savasleyka air base. After the regiment was disbanded in 2002, the aircraft became part of 4th Centre for Combat Employment and Retraining of Personnel in Lipetsk where they were flown mostly by Russian Falcons aerobatic team. No further orders of the variant were made. However, the Russian Defence Ministry was impressed with the export Su-30MKI's performance envelope and ordered a total of 60 Su-30SM fighters, under two contracts signed in March and December 2012, respectively. On 21 September 2012, the Su-30SM performed its maiden flight. The Russian Air Force has received first two serial aircraft on 22 November 2012. By end of 2015, 31st Fighter Aviation Regiment, the last aviation regiment of the Russian Aerospace Forces that operated Soviet-made MiG-29A/UBs (izdeliye 9.12/9.13) was fully rearmed with about twenty new Su-30SM fighters. All aircraft of the first two contracts were delivered by 2016.