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(Courtesy:Jane's Defence Weekly)
Document created: 19 MAY 1999
Extra fighter aircraft for India
RAHUL BEDI JDW Correspondent
New Delhi
The Indian Air Force (IAF) will receive 10 more Russian multi-role Sukhoi Su-30 fighters by year-end, according to Chief of Air Staff ACM A Y Tipnis.
The delivery comes a year behind schedule since the IAF had delayed the decision on selecting French Sextant Avionique to supply avionics. ACM Tipnis said the 10 fighters, which will join eight already in service, will be based with 24 Squadron at Pune in western India.
India acquired 40 Su-30s for $1.8 billion in 1996. The first eight arrived in 1997 and the rest were due to be delivered in batches of 10, 12 and 10 aircraft respectively each year starting from late last year.
An IAF source said the final batch of 10 fighters is now likely to be delivered by 2001. These should be built to the full Su-30MKI configuration with canards and AL-37FU or AL-37PP engines with thrust-vectoring nozzles. The 30 aircraft delivered earlier will be returned to Sukhoi for upgrade to the same standard.
India's parliamentary defence committee has criticised the government for delaying the Su-30 programme considering the IAF's declining fleet strength, the obsolescence of existing aircraft, and the delay in both upgrading MiG-21bis fighters and developing the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
In its report to parliament last month, the committee asked the government to not only expedite the Su-30 acquisition but also to complete all formalities for licensed production of the multi-role fighter. It said no ground work had been done or requisite clearances obtained by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to build the Su-30MKI.
The committee also said the development of the advanced light helicopter (ALH) had been adversely affected after LHTEC, which was providing the CTS-800 turbo shaft engine for the helicopter's naval version, withdrew from the programme when Washington imposed sanctions on India for last year's nuclear tests (Jane's Defence Weekly 8 July 1998).
"The US embargo has resulted in almost total stoppage of activity in regard to the ALH for a full year," the report said. It recommended the government swiftly seek an alternative engine supplier and avoid all future dealings with companies in "sanctions-imposing" countries.
The delivery of 10 more Russian fighter aircraft will take the IAF's Su-30 total to 40
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