DTN News: Indian Air Force Su-30MKI Back In Full Swing And Formation
*Source: DTN News / Defense Media
(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - December 29, 2009: Last m
onth November, 2009 an IAF Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed near Jaisalmer in the northwestern state of Rajasthan. As a result the entire fleet of Su-30MKIs was grounded while the cause of the problem was investigated. According to official reports, IAF Su-30MKIs an air superiority fighter which can also act as a multirole, strike fighter jets are back in full swing and formation.
The Indian Air Force IAF has close to 120 of the Su-30MKI fighters in its inventory and has placed an order for 230 aircraft. Out of this, the majority of 140 fighters would be manufactured or assembled by HAL. The earlier batch of aircraft that have been in operation for the past few years were imported from Russia.
The Su-30MKIs aircrafts are primarily for air defence and air superiority purposes. However, most of them have significant strike and close air support capabilities. The MKI variant features several improvements over the basic K and MK variants and is classified as a 4.5 generation fighter. Due to similar features and components, the MKI variant is often considered to be a customized Indian variant of the Sukhoi Su-35.
The Su-30MKI is the IAF's prime air superiority fighter. The Su-30K variant was first acquired in 1996. That year, the IAF signed a US$1.6 billion contract with Russia for the supply of 50 Su-30MKIs and the technology transfer and license to manufacture 140 Su-30MKIs by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The two-seat, multi-role fighter has a maximum speed of 2500 km/h (Mach 2.35) and a service ceiling of 20,000 meters. With one mid-air refueling, it can travel as far as 8000 km, making it a suitable platform to deliver strategic weapons. In 2007, the IAF spent US$700 million to upgrade its remaining 10 Su-30Ks and 8 SU-30MKs to MKI Std variant and signed a contract for the supply of 40 additional MKIs with Russia.
The Su-30MKIs total ordered (50+140+40) + (Additional 50 still to be ordered, as per Force India/ no official confirmation so far) will be procured/produced/assembled by 2015-2016 bringing the total number to 280. All 50 of the first batch delivered (1 crashed)/ 52 of the 140 HAL built delivered so far (1 crashed)(balance 88 at the rate of 14 per year by HAL ) and, 3 of the 40 ordered delivered so far(balance 37 by 2012-13).
The Indian Air Force is going to augment its attack capability in near future by getting its own version of BrahMos, a supersonic cruise missile that will be fitted on Sukhoi 30-MKI.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) which has already developed the land and sea version of the BrahMos in partnership with Russia s NPO Mashinostroeyenia, is working on the air version of the supersonic cruise missile for the Air Force.
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onth November, 2009 an IAF Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed near Jaisalmer in the northwestern state of Rajasthan. As a result the entire fleet of Su-30MKIs was grounded while the cause of the problem was investigated. According to official reports, IAF Su-30MKIs an air superiority fighter which can also act as a multirole, strike fighter jets are back in full swing and formation.
The Indian Air Force IAF has close to 120 of the Su-30MKI fighters in its inventory and has placed an order for 230 aircraft. Out of this, the majority of 140 fighters would be manufactured or assembled by HAL. The earlier batch of aircraft that have been in operation for the past few years were imported from Russia.
The Su-30MKIs aircrafts are primarily for air defence and air superiority purposes. However, most of them have significant strike and close air support capabilities. The MKI variant features several improvements over the basic K and MK variants and is classified as a 4.5 generation fighter. Due to similar features and components, the MKI variant is often considered to be a customized Indian variant of the Sukhoi Su-35.
The Su-30MKI is the IAF's prime air superiority fighter. The Su-30K variant was first acquired in 1996. That year, the IAF signed a US$1.6 billion contract with Russia for the supply of 50 Su-30MKIs and the technology transfer and license to manufacture 140 Su-30MKIs by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The two-seat, multi-role fighter has a maximum speed of 2500 km/h (Mach 2.35) and a service ceiling of 20,000 meters. With one mid-air refueling, it can travel as far as 8000 km, making it a suitable platform to deliver strategic weapons. In 2007, the IAF spent US$700 million to upgrade its remaining 10 Su-30Ks and 8 SU-30MKs to MKI Std variant and signed a contract for the supply of 40 additional MKIs with Russia. 
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