India is reviving the production of Russian Su-30MKI multi-role fighter jets, which form the backbone of the Indian Air Force.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will produce 12 new fighter jets at its Nashik facility for the Indian Air Force, at a cost of $1.3 billion, the Economic Times reported.
The IAF currently operates about 260 Su-30MKIs, and the new aircraft will replace those lost in accidents over the years.
HAL’s Nashik plant has traditionally produced Russian fighter aircraft under license, and also makes India’s own Light Combat Aircraft. It stopped producing MKIs in 2020-21, when all the planes contracted from Russia had been delivered.
The new planes will feature more than 50% indigenous components, and will be incorporated with the IAF’s Super Sukhoi upgrades.
The first Su-30MKI was inducted into the IAF in 2002. The MKI variant is tailor-made to Indian specifications and integrates Indian systems and avionics as well as French and Israeli sub-systems.
Over the years, India has rolled out upgrades to the Su-30MKI’s avionics and electronic suite, making the jet more capable and lethal. The IAF also has incorporated the BrahMos-A, an air-launched version of the supersonic Russian-Indian cruise missile, into the platform.
The IAF deployed the workhorses to provide protective air cover to Indian strike formations during last year’s armed clash with Pakistan, which India code-named Operation Sindoor. The planes also fired BrahMos missiles against strategic airbases and command centers in Pakistan.