Development
The Su-30MKI was jointly designed by Russia's Sukhoi Corporation and India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The MKI's airframe evolved from that of the Sukhoi Su-27 while most of the avionics were developed by India. The Su-30MKI is reputed to be more advanced than the basic Su-30MK, the Chinese Su-30MKK/MK2, and the Malaysian Su-30MKM. "The Indian Air Force's Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a generation ahead of Su-30MKK/MK2 fighters given to China." Russia’s Defense Ministry was impressed enough with the performance envelope of the variant to have ordered 30 Su-30SMs, a localized version of the Su-30MKI, for the Russian airforce. It features state of the art avionics developed by Russia, India and Israel which includes display, navigation, targeting and electronic warfare systems. Some avionics suites used in the aircraft were also sourced from France and South Africa.
After two years of evaluation and negotiations, India signed a US$1.462 billion deal with the Sukhoi Corporation on 30 November 1996 for the delivery of 50 Su-30MKI aircraft in five batches. The first batch were eight Su-30MKs, the basic version of Su-30. The second batch were to be 10 Su-30Ks with French and Israeli avionics. The third batch were to be 10 Su-30MKIs featuring canard foreplanes. The fourth batch of 12 Su-30MKIs and final batch of 10 Su-30MKIs aircraft all were to have the AL-31FP turbofans. These 50 aircraft were made by Sukhoi in Russia.
In October 2000, a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) was signed confirming the license production of 140+ Su-30MKIs in India and in December 2000, the deal was sealed at Russia's Irkutsk aircraft plant, with full technology transfer. The first Su-30MKIs from Nasik were to be delivered from 2004, with the staged production until 2017–18. However in November 2002, the delivery schedule was expedited with production to be completed in 10 years, by 2014–2015, by increasing the annual rate of production from 10 to 14 aircraft annually. An estimated 920 AL-31FP turbofans are to be manufactured at HAL's Koraput Division, while the mainframe and other accessories are to be manufactured at HAL's Divisions in Lucknow and Hyderabad. Final integration of the aircraft and its test flight are to be carried out at HAL's Nasik Division. The MKI production was planned to be done in four phases: Phase I, II, III and IV respectively.
In 2007, another order of 40 Su-30MKIs was placed. In 2009, the planned fleet strength was to be 230 aircraft. In 2008, Samtel HAL Display Systems (SHDS), a joint venture between Samtel Display Systems and HAL, won a contract to develop and manufacture multi-function avionics displays for the MKI. A helmet mounted display, Topsight-I, based on technology from Thales and developed by SHDS will be integrated on the Su-30MKI in the next upgrade.
In March 2010, sources in the Indian Defense Ministry announced that a contract for 42 more Su-30MKI was in the final phases. In June 2010, it was reported that the Cabinet Committee on Security had cleared the 15,000 crore (US$2.73 billion) deal and that the 42 aircraft would be in service by 2018. Of these 42 aircraft being procured, two replace the aircraft that crashed in 2009.
By August 2010, the cost increased to $4.3 billion or $102 million each, comparable in cost to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, but lacking in features such as stealth. This increased unit cost compared to the previous unit cost of $40 million in 2007, has led to the rumours that these latest order of 42 Su-30MKIs are for the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) and these aircraft will be optimised and hardwired for nuclear weapons delivery. The SFC had previously submitted a proposal to the Indian Defence Ministry for setting up two dedicated squadrons of fighters consisting of 40 aircraft capable of delivering nuclear weapons.
HAL also expects that indigenisation of the Su-30MKI program will be completed by 2010. V. Balakrishnan, general manager of the Aircraft Manufacturing Division stated that “HAL will achieve 100 per cent indigenisation of the Sukhoi aircraft – from the production of raw materials to the final plane assembly”. As of January 2011, 142 Su-30MKIs had been delivered to the Indian Air Force.
On 11 October 2012, the Indian Government proposed to buy another 42 Su-30MKI aircraft from Russia. If finalised this deal will increase India's order total to 272.
Read more about this topic: Sukhoi Su-30MKI
Famous quotes containing the word development:
“I do seriously believe that if we can measure among the States the benefits resulting from the preservation of the Union, the rebellious States have the larger share. It destroyed an institution that was their destruction. It opened the way for a commercial life that, if they will only embrace it and face the light, means to them a development that shall rival the best attainments of the greatest of our States.”
—Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901)
“The man, or the boy, in his development is psychologically deterred from incorporating serving characteristics by an easily observable fact: there are already people around who are clearly meant to serve and they are girls and women. To perform the activities these people are doing is to risk being, and being thought of, and thinking of oneself, as a woman. This has been made a terrifying prospect and has been made to constitute a major threat to masculine identity.”
—Jean Baker Miller (20th century)
“The work of adult life is not easy. As in childhood, each step presents not only new tasks of development but requires a letting go of the techniques that worked before. With each passage some magic must be given up, some cherished illusion of safety and comfortably familiar sense of self must be cast off, to allow for the greater expansion of our distinctiveness.”
—Gail Sheehy (20th century)