In what comes as a major milestone for self-reliance in India's defence sector, the government signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the procurement of 12 Su-30MKI fighter aircraft along with associated equipment.
The procurement of these twin-engine, two-seater multirole fighter aircraft, developed by Russia's Sukhoi Aviation Corporation, will be made at a cost of Rs 13,500 crore, including taxes and duties. A variant of the Sukhoi Su-30 tailored for the Indian Air Force (IAF), these jets are now manufactured by the HAL under an intergovernmental framework.
According to the defence ministry, aircraft will have an indigenous content of 62.6 per cent, enhanced due to indiginisation of many components manufactured by Indian defence industry.
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“The supply of these aircraft would enhance operational capability of Indian Air Force and strengthen defence preparedness of the country,” the defence ministry said in a release.
Equipped with longer-range weapons, including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, the Su-30MKIs do have a competitive edge against newer fifth-generation fighters. Highly versatile, these fighter jets can perform various roles, from air superiority to ground attack missions, making them a critical asset in India's defense strategy.
These aircraft would be manufactured by the Nashik division of HAL. Aircraft Division, Nashik is an independent profit center currently engaged in the overhaul of Su-30MKI aircraft under license and repair/overhaul of MiG-21/27M aircraft variants, BISON, Su-30MKI Aircraft and their aggregates. HAL Nashik is also involved in mid-life upgrade and modification of various types of Russian origin aircrafts, providing design and development support to MiG-21 series, MiG-27M and SU30MKI series aircrafts and its systems.
