Sukhoi Su-30MKI

Su-30MKI
An Indian Air Force Su-30MKI
General information
TypeMultirole fighter, air superiority fighter, Fighter-bomber[1]
National originRussia / India
ManufacturerHindustan Aeronautics Limited
DesignerSukhoi
StatusIn service
Primary userIndian Air Force
Number built272 as of March 2020[2][3]
History
ManufacturedSu-30MKI: 2000–present
Introduction date27 September 2002
First flightSu-30МК: 1 July 1997; 27 years ago (1997-07-01)
Su-30MKI: 2000; 24 years ago (2000)
Developed fromSukhoi Su-30
VariantsSukhoi Su-30MKM
Sukhoi Su-30MKA

The Sukhoi Su-30MKI[a] (NATO reporting name: Flanker-H) is a two-seater, twinjet multirole air superiority fighter developed by Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi and built under licence by India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). A variant of the Sukhoi Su-30, it is a heavy, all-weather, long-range fighter.

Development of the variant started after India signed a deal with Russia in 2000 to manufacture 140 Su-30 fighter jets.[4] The first Russian-made Su-30MKI variant was accepted into the Indian Air Force in 2002,[5] while the first Su-30MKI assembled in India entered service with the IAF in November 2004.[6] The IAF has nearly 260 Su-30MKIs in inventory as of January 2020.[7] The Su-30MKI is expected to form the backbone of the IAF's fighter fleet to 2020 and beyond.[8]

The aircraft is tailor-made for Indian specifications and integrates Indian systems and avionics as well as French and Israeli sub-systems.[9] It has abilities similar to the Sukhoi Su-35 with which it shares many features and components.[b][10]

  1. ^ "HAL – Hindustan Aeronautics Limited". www.hal-india.co.in. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  2. ^ "India completes production of Su-30MKI fighters". airrecognition.com. 2 April 2020. Archived from the original on 21 May 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  3. ^ "India's Aviation Behemoth HAL Expects More Orders as It Completes Production of Su-30MKI". defenceaviationpost.com. 1 April 2020. Archived from the original on 9 April 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  4. ^ "India to build Russian fighters". BBC News. 28 December 2000. Archived from the original on 25 December 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  5. ^ "Indian air force first to field multi-role Sukhois". AccessMyLibrary.com. 17 September 2002. Archived from the original on 12 January 2009. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  6. ^ "Su-30MKI Multirole Fighter Aircraft". airforce-technology.com. 22 May 2020. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  7. ^ "How Sukhoi-30 fighter jets will help check Chinese footprint in Indian Ocean". Hindustan Times. 20 January 2020. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  8. ^ Pandit, Rajat (30 January 2010). "Russia conducts first test of fifth-generation Sukhoi". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2 February 2010.
  9. ^ Butowski, Piotr (1 March 2002). "The year of the MiG-29: in 2001, RAC MiG had its best year in the post-Soviet era. Prospects for Sukhoi are improving, too. (Special Report)". Interavia Business & Technology. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2011 – via HighBeam.com.
  10. ^ "Sukhoi Su-35 (Flanker-E / Super Flanker)". MilitaryFactory.com. 29 July 2020. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2023.


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