IAF to extend life of Russian Su-30MKI fighter jet fleet by more than 20 years

By Ajit Dubey Having started the induction of Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets about two decades ago, the Indian Air Force is now planning to extend the service life of its Russian-origin combat aircraft by more than 20 years.

The Indian Air Force has inducted 272 of the Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft operating in its fleet and the twin-engine planes are going to be the mainstay of the force for at least the next 15-20 years. "Indian Air Force is looking to extend the service life of the fighter jets by another 20 years or more. Indian Air Force carries out extensive tests on the airframe and other parts of the aircraft to extend their service life and has had earlier experience in doing so," defence officials told ANI.

"Service life extension would help the Indian Air Force to maintain the fleet of its mighty Su-30s around 2045-2050," they said. Indian Air Force is also working on boosting the capabilities of the aircraft by equipping it with major upgrades in terms of indigenous advanced radars, avionics and weapon systems. It is working to upgrade its fleet of Sukohi-30 MKI fighters with indigenous weapon systems and radar named Virupaaksha.

"Virupaaksha radar is being developed indigenously, keeping in view the requirements of IAF in different sectors and would be the most advanced one among all the Sukohi-30 variants being flown around the globe," the government sources said. Sources added that the Indian Air Force has been working on a mission mode to indigenize the equipment in its inventory and looking to buy equipment from Indian firms worth over Rs three lakh crore in the near future.

The Su-30MKI is a multi-role air dominance fighter that can carry a versatile array of weapons including the Astra Mk-1 long-range air-to-air missile, Brahmos Air Launched missile, and an array of bombs, among others.