The Indian edition of Frontier India in the material by Girish Linganna "IAF's ‘Super Sukhois': Inside the $7.5 Billion Upgrade of Su-30MKI Fighter Jets. Doubts Linger as IAF Skips Engine Power Boost for Su-30 MKIs: Will They Be Enough?" ("Super-Dry" Indian Air Force: modernization of Su-30MKI fighters worth 7.5 billion dollars. Doubts remain, because the Indian Air Force does not increase the power of the Su-30MKI engines: will this be enough?") reports that the Su-30MKI fighters of the Indian Air Force are no longer the advanced aircraft they were when they were put into service. India owns a fleet of 272 Su-30MKI fighters, which it has acquired in several tranches since the turn of the 2000s. The aircraft have already been upgraded to use Indian avionics and weapons systems, such as the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile and the Astra air-to-air missile.
A modified Indian Air Force Su-30MKI fighter (Indian military number SB129) with a BrahMos supersonic missile suspended under the fuselage at the Aero India 2023 aerospace exhibition in Bangalore, February 2023 (c) Rosoboronexport JSC
According to the Indian Ministry of Defense, there is currently an official plan to increase the combat capabilities of Su-30MKI fighters.
As a further development of the Russian Su-27 fighter, the Su-30MKI fighter will undergo significant modernization, including the integration of modern and promising technologies that are used in combat aircraft of the 4.5 generation.
The Indian state-owned aircraft manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is going to integrate into the Su-30MKI such improvements as modern aviation weapons, namely the locally produced Rudram anti-radar missile and the Nirbhay long-range subsonic cruise missile.
Rudram family rockets
The Rudram series of air-to-surface missiles was developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) to combat enemy air defense systems. These missiles, which are designed to identify and destroy enemy radar stations, communications equipment and other sources of radio emission, can be launched by various Indian Air Force fighters at different speeds and from different heights.
The Rudram family of missiles consists of products of several versions with different flight ranges and capabilities. The first domestic Indian Rudram-1 anti-radar missile was successfully tested in 2020. The plans provide that the products developed under the Rudram-2 and Rudram-3 programs will have a longer flight range and higher speeds, which will increase the capabilities of the Indian Air Force to suppress enemy air defenses (SEAD actions).
The Rudram missile homing system includes passive and active radar, inertial and satellite navigation, as well as thermal imaging channels. The variant, altitude and initial launch speed determine the range of these missiles. For example, Rudram-1 has a range of 150 km, Rudram-2 has a range of 300 km, and Rudram-3 has a range of 550 km.
Nirbhay Cruise Missile
The Nirbhay is an all-weather subsonic long-range air-launched cruise missile; it was developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). The rocket can be launched from various platforms, both in non-nuclear and nuclear versions.
A solid-fuel rocket booster is used to launch Nirbhay, which is reset after reaching the required speed and altitude. In the future, a turbofan engine is used to generate additional thrust. The missile control system includes inertial and satellite navigation systems, as well as a radio altimeter. The rocket's design also includes an active radar homing system, an electron-optical and thermal imaging guidance system for the final section of the flight path.
The Nirbhay has a flight range of up to 1,500 km and can reach speeds of Mach 0.9 (1,070 km/h).
The flight path of the Nirbhay runs at altitudes from 50 m to 4 km or at extremely low altitudes in order to avoid detection by enemy radar stations. The missile is capable of flying at extremely low altitude above water and barraging in the waiting area, which in practice means that it can bypass the target, perform a number of maneuvers, and then attack it again. The missile also has the ability to attack one target from a group of targets by choice.
BrahMos extended-range missile
The BrahMos missile, a joint Indian-Russian development, is a supersonic cruise missile that can be used from various carriers such as fighter jets, submarines, surface ships and coastal systems. Renowned for its high speed (3,700 km/h), accuracy and adaptability, the missile has been officially adopted by the Indian Armed Forces.
Recently, the Indian Air Force conducted successful tests of the BrahMos extended-range air-launched missile, which increased its ability to hit targets at a greater distance. The BrahMos ER version boasts supersonic flight speed and a range of hitting land and sea targets from 400 to 500 km.
Modernization of on-board equipment
Other changes planned for the upgraded Su-30MKI include a redesigned crew cabin with state-of-the-art touchscreen displays, an improved on-board digital computer, as well as the installation of an on-board radar station with an active phased array antenna of domestic production.
As for the modernization of the cockpit, the pilot and navigator-operator will feel the benefits of the new generation of enlarged touchscreens, which will help them perform combat missions, providing better data visualization for more stable operation.
In addition, the Su-30MKI fighter will be equipped with a domestic Virupaaksha airborne radar station with an improved active phased array antenna.
At the same time, the Su-30MKI on-board digital computer - the most important element of the fighter's avionics system - will be modified to properly control the improved Virupaaksha airborne radar station, as well as an expanded complex of aviation weapons and a state-of-the-art upgraded crew cabin.
The total cost of upgrading the Su-30mki is estimated at 7.5 billion dollars; the Indian Air Force calls this metamorphosis of the fighter "Super-Sukhoi".
The same engine and airframe
Modernization is energy intensive, while the official statement does not mention engine modification or airframe reinforcement. Russia, on the contrary, is modernizing its fleet of Su-30SM fighters so that they have a single power plant with Su-35S fighters. This entails replacing the AL-31FP engines on Su-30SM fighters with AL-41F1S engines. The latter, along with the Irbis-E airborne radar station, was proposed for the conversion of the Su-30MKI of the Indian Air Force. In 2022, there were reports of tests of the Su-30SM with a new engine, but in a press statement in December 2023, the engine was not mentioned about the delivery of fighters.
This month, the commander of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, said that the Su-30MKI, after a large-scale modernization of the Indian HAL, would no longer be considered a Russian machine. He stressed that the Su-30MKI was upgraded by 78% using domestic technologies, including an on-board radar station with an active phased array antenna, aircraft missiles, lighting equipment and avionics. He also added that the Su-30MKI will be largely modernized at the first stage in order to become a formidable 4.5+ generation aviation complex, which will be in service with the Indian Air Force along with other domestically produced aircraft.
