The Hindu : Russia begins delivery of Sukhois

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 25, 2002

International

International

Russia begins delivery of Sukhois

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW JUNE 24. Russia has begun delivery of the multi-role Su-30MKI fighters to India. The first two planes were flown to India on Saturday aboard the Ruslan cargo plane from an aircraft factory in Irkutsk, Siberia, according to Russian news agencies.

The IAPO, which builds Sukhoi-series aircraft, is expected to supply a total of 10 Su-30 MKI fighters to India in the next couple of months, and another 22 planes next year.

Numerous delays in delivery schedules are attributed here to unprecedented problems in integrating avionics systems manufactured in India and some Western countries with the Russian-built aircraft.

Russia is to supply a total of 50 Su-30 MKI aircraft to India and help organise licensed production of another 140 planes at HAL plants in India.

The IAF has already inducted 18 Su-30 planes, an earlier version of the fighter, which will be upgraded to the Su-30MKI level by 2004.

``The induction of the Su-30MKI, the world's best multi-role fighter today, will make the IAF one of the most powerful air forces in the world,'' Alexander Vaskin of the Indo-Russian Security Forum told The Hindu.

"The new fighter is equal the eurofighter Typhoon and the USIF F-22 Raptor, which are yet to be inducted in Europe and the United States. The Su-30MKI is a 4+ generation plane and has a potential for modernisation to the level of a fifth generation aircraft,'' he said.

Dr. Vaskin described the implementation of the Su-30MKI project as "a milestone on the path to progressive integration of Indian and Russian aerospace industries and the establishment of a joint and self-reliant Russian-Indian aerospace sector as a matter of survival against Trans-Atlantic and Pan-European domination."

Russian media said the Sukhoi aircraft deployed at the Pune airbase will most likely be tasked with defending Mumbai from possible Pakistani airstrikes.

Our New Delhi

Special Correspondent writes:

The two Su-30 MKI planes scheduled to arrive at Indian airbases soon are among the first batch of 10 planes whose delivery was speeded up following a request by the Defence Minister, George Fernandes, in April when military tensions with Pakistan had peaked, the Defence Ministry officials say.

In military terms, the Sukhoi-30 MKI will not only be superior to Pakistan military's current air inventory but also neutralise the numerical superiority enjoyed by China to some extent, the officials say. And, the Government's policy of mastering the full cycle of creation of aircraft could help open overseas markets.

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