India has placed an order for a significant quantity of new engines for its Su-30MKI fighter aircraft.

 


India has placed an order for a significant quantity of new engines for its Su-30MKI fighter aircraft. The backbone of India's fighter jet fleet is the Russian-designed Sukhoi Su-30MKI, and the country recently ordered 240 engines to ensure the fleet's operational capability in the coming years.

Following approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security earlier this month, officials have finalized a deal with state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the supply of AL-31FP engines. The contract, valued at over 260 billion rupees or US$3.1 billion, stipulates that the first engine will be delivered to the Indian Air Force (IAF) within a year. All products will be delivered within an eight-year timeframe as per the Ministry of Defence announcement. 

Production of thirty units will occur annually. The engines, produced by HAL under a Russian license, currently contain 54% local content. Nonetheless, the corporation intends to increase the percentage to 63% by leveraging India's defense manufacturing ecosystem. "The ministry emphasized that increasing the indigenous content of repair and overhaul tasks for aero engines is crucial. 

The aero engines will be produced by HAL's Koraput Division, aiming to meet the Indian Air Force's requirements and maintain the operational capability of the Su-30 fleet for national defense preparedness. India opted to continue using AL-31FP engines despite Russia upgrading its Su-30SM fighters with the AL-41FS. Additionally, the IAF is acquiring twelve new Su-30MKIs from HAL at a cost of $1.3 billion to compensate for losses." The purchase was authorized in September 2023. 

 The air force currently has around 260 Su-30MKIs, with six of them deployed to Exercise Pitch Black 2024 in Australia in July. Group Captain Ajay Rathi, the Indian detachment commander, commended the platform for its advanced avionics, thrust vectoring, and superior payload capacity. He noted that the aircraft is capable of performing offensive and defensive missions for strategic and tactical operations, highlighting its long range, maneuverability, firepower, and effectiveness in contested environments.

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