Facing a critical shortfall in fighter squadrons, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is examining an interim plan to upgrade a limited number of its Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets with Russian assistance, even as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) prepares to execute the bulk of the programme in India.
The move is being considered as a stopgap arrangement to ensure operational readiness while HAL absorbs new technologies required for a comprehensive mid-life upgrade of the aircraft.
What is the IAF plan for its Sukhoi jets?
The IAF intends to modernise around 200 Sukhoi-30 MKIs from its total fleet of 272 aircraft, making it the largest upgrade programme ever undertaken for the twin-engine fighter.
According to defence sources, some initial upgrade work may be carried out in Russia, as certain advanced technologies will require gradual indigenisation and integration by HAL and its domestic vendor ecosystem.
Although HAL has licence-produced most of the Sukhoi-30 MKI fleet, adapting to new-generation avionics and sensors is expected to take time.
What is Indian defence ministry’s target on indigenisation?
The Ministry of Defence has set an ambitious target of achieving nearly 78 per cent indigenous content in the upgrade programme.
The modernisation will feature Indian-developed avionics, including advanced mission systems and a new mission computer capable of handling significantly higher data processing loads.
What is the key highlight of the Sukhoi jets upgrade?
A key highlight of the upgrade is the planned induction of the indigenous UTTAM AESA radar, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), replacing the aircraft’s ageing radar and providing enhanced detection range and multi-target tracking capability.
The cockpit will also receive upgraded multifunction displays and improved pilot interfaces. In addition to the already integrated BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, the IAF aims to arm the upgraded Sukhois with indigenous beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles, high-speed precision stand-off weapons and next-generation glide bombs.
Did Sukhoi jets upgrade feature in India-Russia talks?
The upgrade roadmap has featured prominently in recent India–Russia defence engagements. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh discussed the programme with Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in June.
Earlier, Russia also offered the more powerful AL-41 engine, used on the Su-57 stealth fighter, as a potential replacement for the current AL-31 engines powering the Sukhoi-30 MKI.