NEW DELHI (Agencies): Building on the successful BrahMos model, which helped it be exported to a third country, India and Russia are in talks to revive the production of Sukhoi Su-30MKI in India and export it to foreign buyers.
The Indian aircraft maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has already completed the supply of 272 Su-30MKIs to the Indian Air Force (IAF). The aircraft will be the backbone of the country’s airpower for decades.
India had contracted to acquire 272 Su-30s from Russia in batches, of which 222 were assembled by HAL at its Nasik plant under Transfer of Technology (ToT) since 2004.
Of the 272 fighters, 40 are being modified to carry the air-launched version of the supersonic cruise missile BrahMos. The IAF has already deployed its BrahMos-equipped squadron ‘Tiger Sharks’ at Thanjavur Air Base in Tamil Nadu in 2020. From here, the aircraft will be the sentinels of the Indian peninsula and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
The IAF has been contemplating ordering 12 Sukhois to replace the aircraft it has lost in crashes over the years. The purchase of the additional Sukhoi-30 MKIs has come as the IAF is grappling with a shortage of fighter squadrons. Presently, the IAF has 31 fighter squadrons against the sanctioned strength of 42.
The Sukhoi Su-30MKI (NATO reporting name Flanker-H) is a twinjet multirole air superiority fighter. In addition to India, various versions of the Su-30 are operated by China, Algeria, Indonesia, Malaysia, Uganda, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
After finishing the production for the IAF’s order, the Su-30MKI production line at Nasik has been undertaking overhauls and scheduled servicing of the aircraft. Restarting the production lines with an eye on exports will help India bolster its defense exports while utilizing its existing capabilities.
Sources have confirmed that HAL and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Russian Sukhois are in talks to build these fighter jets for export. Russia has agreed to support the production effort. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Russia, the two sides agreed to work on joint manufacturing and technology transfer.
In the absence of any more orders, the HAL’s Sukhoi assembly line will wind down, and the Aircraft Overhaul Division at Nasik will continue repairing and overhauling the MiG series fighter jets and Su-30MKIs in the IAF’s inventory.
Over the past several years, the HAL has developed a vendor base of over 2000 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) for the Sukhoi project.