IAF mainstay Su 30MKI fighter jet fleet to be upgraded under ₹60,000-crore plan
Su 30MKI fighter jet fleet is set to be upgraded under a plan that will include completely new avionics, radars and electronic warfare suites. Close to 100 of the fighters are to be upgraded in the first tranche that will be conducted entirely in India.
Sources said the upgrade plan is valued in excess of Rs 60,000 crore and will touch all aspects of the fighter jet except for its airframe and engines.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will be the lead agency for the upgrade in partnership with the Indian Air Force and other partners.
India ordered 272 of the fighter jets from Russia that form the mainstay of the air force fighter fleet. Last month, an order for 12 more jets was cleared for ₹11,000 crore.
These jets will be manufactured by HAL with indigenous content of over 50%.
A 'Super Sukhoi' upgrade has been in the works for several years as the aircraft have been in service for two decades and need to be modernised to current standards. Talks on the upgrade have been on with Russia since at least 2017, with India looking at maximising indigenous systems on the aircraft.
«The upgrade is likely to include enhanced beyond visual range capability, new electronic warfare suites and a new radar,» one of the sources said.
The Su 30MKI fighter fleet upgrade to modern standards could also open up export potential in the future as India can offer the package to friendly foreign nations that operate the Russian-origin aircraft.
Over 600 aircraft of the Su 27/30 type have been manufactured and large operators include Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Algeria. Malaysia could be an early option as well as Vietnam, which operates 46 fighters of the type.
