One of the biggest fleets of fighter aircraft currently operated by an Asian nation resides in India. Fielding a fleet of 260 Su-30MKI multirole jets (the last of 272 produced by Hindustan Aeronautics was completed in April 2020, with 12 lost to attrition), the Indian Air Force (IAF) is a major operator of Pavel Sukhoi's best-seller. It is the mainstay of the IAF strike-fighter fleet and will remain so for decades to come. Given its age, the type first entered service in 2002, and the recent cross-border tussles with the People’s Republic of China and Pakistan, the IAF needs to maintain the jets in a configuration that provides a combat advantage over Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Lockheed Martin F-16s and JF-17s, and People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) J-16s, J-20s and Su-35s. Also, the Air Force desperately needs to improve the Su-30MKI's mission availability rates.
Such a need can only be satisfied by a fleet-wide upgrade programme. The IAF has kept the Su-30MKI upgrade programme on its shopping list for several years.
Unofficially known as the Super 30, by the summer of 2019 HAL chairman Shri Madhavan confirmed an engine upgrade, a new radar, electronic warfare suite and beyond visual range missiles are included. Some speculate the new engine model is likely to be the Russian NPO Saturn AL-41FS rated at 32,000lb thrust with afterburner, and new radar to be the Tikhomirov NIIP Irbis-E hybrid passive electronically scanned array based on the N011M Bars system.
This story is from the February/March 2021 edition of Asian Military Review.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February/March 2021 edition of Asian Military Review.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
SMART MUNITIONS INCREASE MARKET SHARE
Top attack munitions are now widely developed for different artillery calibers with varied ranges.
NEXT GEN NVGS - A CLEAR IMPROVEMENT
Fused and enhanced night-vision technology will make the difference to soldiers fighting at night.
MILITARY ROTORCRAFT DEVELOPMENT - NO MORE ‘STOVEPIPES'
New rotorcraft are going to come with new abilities founded on open systems that provide easier upgrade paths and cheaper through life costs.
INDO PACIFIC UAV DIRECTORY 2021
The development of unmanned aerial vehicles is growing apace, especially in China. New longer range ISR platforms are also on the procurement list of several nations.
TIME TO RESET TRILATERAL RELATIONS
United States President Joe Biden has made it a top priority of his Administration to repair and re-energize global alliances during its first year in power. This is a necessary strategic and political calculus made in light of growing global security, public health, and environmental challenges that will require cooperation and multilateral contributions. President Trump’s ‘America first’ policy did much to undermine confidence in such relationships over his time in office.
SOCPAC KEEN TO SHARE JOINT DOCTRINE AND TRAINING
The return of Great Power competition means that US SOCPAC is more than ever seeking joint training opportunities with regional special forces.
MARINE ENGINE POWER - NOT JUST ABOUT KNOTS
Navies not only want more engine power, there are also coming under increasing pressure to become environmentally conscious.
AMPHIBIOUS FORCES
New amphibious concepts are re-shaping marine forces to break the A2AD defensive line.
SPACE V AIRBORNE ISR OR MIX AND MATCH
Owning satellite based ISR for military use is still an exclusive ‘club’, but airborne ISR still provides that most countries need.
SHIPBUILDING - A NUMBERS GAME
While experience grows among Indo-Pacific naval designers, order numbers remain crucial to keeping costs down and yards in business.
