Su-30 MKI

[youngindian]

IAF orders 42 'Super-30' Sukhoi fighters for Rs15,000 crore

26 June 2010

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force is all set to further boost its fleet of top-of-the-line Sukhoi-30MKI fighters with additional orders for 42 'Super-30' variants such aircraft. Reports suggest that the Cabinet Committee on Security may have sanctioned this fresh purchase sometime early this month.The order is expected to be for the 'Super' variant of the Su-30MKI, which would be capable of carrying the BrahMos cruise missile. The Super variants are also expected to carry the under-development, nuclear-capable, Nirbhay cruise missile with a range of 1,000 km.

The 'Super' variants are expected to field new radars, onboard computers, electronic warfare systems as well as the supersonic BrahMos and the high sub-sonic, strategic Nirbhay missile.

The first two prototypes of the 'Super-30' upgrade are expected to be delivered to the Indian Air Force in 2012, after which the same upgrades will be performed on the last batch consisting of 40 production aircraft.The fresh order for 42 such aircraft would take the total number of these fighters in the Indian Air Force inventory to 272, making it the single largest type of fighters with the IAF when all deliveries are finally completed by 2018.

The Su-30MKI is the most advanced model amongst the various variants of the Su-30 platform, which includes the Su-30MKK flown by the Chinese air force and a few other nations around the world.

The air forces of advanced nations, such as the US, the UK and France, have made it a point to seek joint exercises with the Indian Air Force just so they could test their own top-of-the-line equipment and pilot skills against this platform, which is universally acknowledged as a formidable force multiplier.

The fresh order for these 42 aircraft will cost the Indian Air Force atleast Rs15,000 crore.

Deliveries of all 272 aircraft, including the fresh order, are expected to be completed by 2018.

HAL is expected to commence manufacture of this lot of 42 aircraft sometime in 2014.

Orders for the Su-30MKI have been placed in four tranches, with the original order for 50 fighters placed in 1996. The second tranche of orders for 140 fighters was placed in 2000, which was followed up with a third tranche of orders for an additional 40 aircraft.

Reports suggest that HAL is expected to complete all deliveries of the Su-30MKI by 2016-17.

HAL has made steady progress in stepping up production of the Su-30MKI at its facilities and is set to deliver 28 of these fighters this year as compared to 23 last year. It has already delivered a total of 74 of such aircraft through assembly or manufacture.


http://www.domain-b.com/aero/mil_avi/mil_aircraft/20100626_fighters_oneView.html

 

[Neil]

Lets say we have a production rate of 24 MKI per year and HAL is looking to increase by 28 from next year. So why is the timeline to induct all 270 is 2018? Even if we go by the same rate of 24 aircraft per year we can easily finish all 270 by 2016.

may be to anticipate some kind of rough time ahead....as many indian defense project have suffered delays so to be on a safer side.....

 

[SHASH2K2]

dude...i thnk our production is slow bt hav heard in recent times....tht every squadron of su-30mki in INDIAN AIR FORCES is unique in its own way....i mean they r trying to make it into blocks with each block more advanced and unique thn the last 1....so itz better to produce slow thn mass produce

Do you have any Idea about improvements in each block? I understand that we need to have good technology and should not go for mass production like Chinese but in case of Airforce we are already having less than required strength and its going down further . we should act fast before it become serious issue.

 

[Neil]

Do you have any Idea about improvements in each block? I understand that we need to have good technology and should not go for mass production like Chinese but in case of Airforce we are already having less than required strength and its going down further . we should act fast before it become serious issue.

i have read it but dont have a link as i forgot the site...so...but i am sure of my comments and completely back it....
i agree we have far less squads in AF than required but this decade will probably change that MMRCA, su-30mki production ,LCA,FGFA can reverse that....

 

[Armand2REP]

Lets say we have a production rate of 24 MKI per year and HAL is looking to increase by 28 from next year. So why is the timeline to induct all 270 is 2018? Even if we go by the same rate of 24 aircraft per year we can easily finish all 270 by 2016.

HAL needs to produce 24-28 per year, I really don't think it is the case though. There is no evidence of a second production line.

 

[Daredevil]

Su-30 MKI production thread merged with this thread.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://sukhoitributeenglish.blogspot.com/2008/07/china-copies-obsolete-russian-fighter.html

China copies obsolete Russian fighter

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti military commentator Ilya Kramnik) - Earlier this year reports appeared in the media that China had copied Russia's Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker fighter, and that its J-11 version, now manufactured in China, would be sold to third countries, undermining Russia's positions on the global arms market.

Although China has made some progress in adapting Russian designs and technology, it is still far from posing either a military or commercial threat to Russian aviation.

The Chinese aircraft industry evolved in the late 1950s with Soviet assistance, and soon mastered production of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 Fagot and MiG-17 Fresco fighters, the Ilyushin Il-28 medium-range bomber and other warplanes. Later China got more modern aircraft from the U.S.S.R. - Tu-16, MiG-21, An-12 and others.

By cooperating closely with the Soviet Union, China managed to create a modern air force by the mid-1960s. However, this progress was squandered, and the national aircraft industry began to stagnate, after the beginning of the Cultural Revolution in the late 1960s.

Throughout the 1960s and the 1970s, China failed to develop any new aircraft, instead manufacturing the Q-5 and J-8 - revamped versions of the MiG-19 Farmer and MiG-21 Fishbed fighters.

Meanwhile, both the Soviet Union and the United States were developing fourth-generation fighters by that time. By the mid-1980s, the Chinese Air Force was lagging behind Russia and the United States by some 15-20 years.

Beijing mostly sold its obsolete warplanes to the poorest Third World countries, including Albania, Uganda and Bangladesh. China also exported its aircraft to Pakistan, a potential ally against India.

Chinese leaders eventually resolved to rectify the situation by purchasing up-to-date aircraft production technologies. In 1988, China bought production forms and records for Israel's Lavi multi-role fighter. Sixteen years later, in 2004, China mastered production of the Chengdu J-10 - an essentially Israeli warplane featuring Russian avionics.

Moscow and Beijing mended relations in the late 1980s, leading in 1989 to the signing of several military-technical cooperation agreements that facilitated technology transfers.

Most importantly, Beijing received production forms, records and assembly kits for the Su-27, as well as several Su-30-MKK fighters from Russia. By mastering these advanced warplanes, China obtained superiority over its neighbors and gained an insight into the latest aviation technologies.

Nevertheless, Chinese engineers have so far failed to master production of the Su-27's AL-31F power-plant. Its Chinese copy, the WS-10A, is less fuel-efficient and has a shorter service life. On the other hand, the J-11B, an upgraded J-11 version, has a pilot-friendly cockpit with color LCD screens.

A new Su-27 radar reportedly developed by China has better specifications than the Soviet-made N-001 radar, but is inferior to Russia's more modern Irbis radar.

To sum up, China has managed to copy an aircraft developed in the early 1980s 15 years after the initial Su-27 deliveries, and 10 years after the first Chinese-assembled Su-27 performed its maiden flight.

But the prototype Su-27 and the J-11 are no match for the revamped Su-27SM fighters now being adopted by the Russian Air Force and the new Su-35BM, which has entered its testing stage.

Although the J-11 will carve out its own market niche, this does not mean that Russian-made aircraft will lose their popularity. Nor will China pose a greater military threat to Russia. It is evident that neither Moscow nor Beijing wants an open military conflict. Even if such a hypothetic conflict ever flared up, it would be decided by weapons other than advanced fighters.

 

[mayfair]

Excuse my ignorance or perhaps incompetence because despite trawling through various sources on these fora and beyond, I am still confused about some issues pertaining to IAF Su-30 MKIs and their upgrades

1. What are the precise ranges for BARS radar, is it 130 nautical miles for a fighter sized target with a RCS of 5 square metres? or is it less or more than that?

2. Is it true that present MKI configuration (frame and powerplant) does not allow the installation of IBRIS radar and that the new MKIs will actually be different from the MKIs presently in the IAF and hence the separate contract with Russia for the 42 MKIs that would harbour Brahmos missiles.

3. Is Su-30 MKI capable of a bombing role similar to Su-34? As of now it seems that MKK seems better suited to a bombing role

4. Do MKI MLUs envisage replacing BARS with IBRIS?

5. MKI thrust vectoring, is it 2D or 3D?

 

[bhramos]

Excuse my ignorance or perhaps incompetence because despite trawling through various sources on these fora and beyond, I am still confused about some issues pertaining to IAF Su-30 MKIs and their upgrades

1. What are the precise ranges for BARS radar, is it 130 nautical miles for a fighter sized target with a RCS of 5 square metres? or is it less or more than that?

2. Is it true that present MKI configuration (frame and powerplant) does not allow the installation of IBRIS radar and that the new MKIs will actually be different from the MKIs presently in the IAF and hence the separate contract with Russia for the 42 MKIs that would harbour Brahmos missiles.

3. Is Su-30 MKI capable of a bombing role similar to Su-34? As of now it seems that MKK seems better suited to a bombing role

4. Do MKI MLUs envisage replacing BARS with IBRIS?

5. MKI thrust vectoring, is it 2D or 3D?

1 ans- N011M has a search range of 350 km and a tracking range of 200 km, with 60 km in the rear in the air to air mode. Up to 15 air targets can be tracked at once in track-while-scan mode with 4 of these engaged at once

3 ans- yes MKK is better then MKI in bombing role, but IAF is upgrading 40 MKI to a Standard where MKI will be Best then MKK in bombing role too,

4 ans-yes MKI will have IBRIS or Israeli AESA.

5ans- MKI is 2d TVC.

 

[ppgj]

Excuse my ignorance or perhaps incompetence because despite trawling through various sources on these fora and beyond, I am still confused about some issues pertaining to IAF Su-30 MKIs and their upgrades

1. What are the precise ranges for BARS radar, is it 130 nautical miles for a fighter sized target with a RCS of 5 square metres? or is it less or more than that?

135 km for a mig 21 sized fighter. it is pretty good. mig 21 RCS IIRC should be less than 3 m2.

2. Is it true that present MKI configuration (frame and powerplant) does not allow the installation of IBRIS radar and that the new MKIs will actually be different from the MKIs presently in the IAF and hence the separate contract with Russia for the 42 MKIs that would harbour Brahmos missiles.

as to the bolded part not true in IMO. as of now IRBIS is PESA radar though better than N011M on our SU 30MKIs - assembled in india - which is also a PESA. i guess india is waiting for the AESA version.

as to the second part, IMO the major difference would be the Brahmos add on. any better avionics? i am not aware of.

3. Is Su-30 MKI capable of a bombing role similar to Su-34? As of now it seems that MKK seems better suited to a bombing role

first of all MTOW for SU 34 is much higher compared to SU 30MKI but SU30MKIs are capable of being in bombing role albeit on a lesser scale.

besides SU 30MKIs in india are used in multi role meaning they have A2A, A2G role. but you can always optimise them for air to ground role. MKK, chinese optimised for ground role. it is no big deal.

however i guess the new 42 MKIs will have more A2G component with Brahmos in a stand off role.

4. Do MKI MLUs envisage replacing BARS with IBRIS?

possible. but as i said IAF is waiting for the AESA version. IRBIS though better than the present does not give you a leap!!!

5. MKI thrust vectoring, is it 2D or 3D?

it is 2D.

read this interesting article http://vayu-sena.tripod.com/info-su30mki.html#8

you will get lot of info.

 

[nitesh]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article499929.ece?homepage=true
IAF to upgrade SU-30 fighter aircraft

Modernising its fighter jet fleet, the Indian Air Force is going to upgrade its SU-30 MKI combat aircraft with the help of Russia.

"As part of IAF's modernisation programme, we are going to upgrade 50 Sukhoi—30 MKI aircraft with help of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) from Russia," Defence Ministry sources told PTI here.

"SU-30 MKIs have been inducted into the IAF in four phases. The ones to be upgraded are from the first phase and the project is likely to be completed in the next three to four years," they added.

Of the 50 aircraft, around five would be sent to the Russian facilities while the remaining would undergo upgrading within India, they said.

Under the modernisation programme, the aircraft will be upgraded to the latest standards and equipped with modern avionics and various other capabilities.

"The airframe of these aircraft would also be strengthened to equip them with air-launched version of the 290 km range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile," the sources said.

The SU-30s were inducted into the IAF in late 90s and at present six squadrons of the aircraft are in service.

The first squadron was of the SU-30 was of the 'K' variant but later they were also upgraded to the latest MKI version. Till now, the IAF has placed orders for around 280 of these heavy air-superiority aircraft of which over 100 have been inducted.

IAF is already upgrading its two main fighter aircraft fleet of 60 MiG-29s and is about to sign an around $ two billion deal with France to modernise its 50 Mirage aircraft.

The Jaguar, MiG-27 and MiG-21 fleets have already been upgraded by the force.

 

[IBRIS]

Radar will be an upgraded AESA version of the present Bars PESA radar, OLS 35

'Bars' upgrade potential
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mDvQ8xYRd...GZDBaHgA/s1600-h/14.10.2009+11-43-43_0028.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mDvQ8xYRd...vexOoPjE/s1600-h/27.08.2009+11-00-29_0021.jpg

Because repeating questions about possibly 'Bars' ESA radar upgrade for Su-30MKI, I put the NIIP's chief engineer Tamerlan Bakirbayev's article again in my blog. This article was published in Russian 'Army & Navy Review' magazine, issue 4, 2009.
The OCRed text is below.


AIRBORNE RADARS
BARS RADAR SYSTEM TANGIBLE ADVANTAGES

Tamerlan BEKIRBAYEV

Currently, an increased interest has been shown in the Su-30MKI fighter performance. The international Red Flag exercise held in July-August 2008 in the United States, the outcomes of virtual duels between Russian Su-series aircraft and an American advanced F-35 fighter conducted in Hawaii in the presence of the Australian Air Force representatives, as well as the results of polls taken by the British Flight magazine in November 2008 suggest that the Su-30MKl is superior to the US F-15 fighter and comparable to the newest F-22 Raptor.

The Su-30MKI lias become the world's first series-produced aircraft featuring supermaneuverability and the first export fighter fitted with the BARS electronically scanned radar.

The BARS radar control system is a radar system implementing the benefits of electronically scanned antenna over mechanically scanned antennas (installed on F-15, F-16, F-18, Su-27, MiG-29, etc.) and com¬puter capabilities, including digital radar signal processing. As a result, it can;
"¢ Detect and track simultaneous¬ly several air targets within a large area (its electronic scan area exceeds 5,000 sq. deg).

"¢ Detect, track and engage a ground target while simultaneously detecting, tracking and engaging air targets.
"¢ Operate in standard radar modes that can be changed and adapted to specific missions and operational conditions, including ECM environments.
"¢ Be tailored to the avionics of any aircraft.

The term «simultaneously» means a capability of switching between modes and positioning the radar beam anywhere within the electronic scan area in hundreds of microseconds.

The BARS supports traditional air-to-air and air-to-surface radar modes.
It has been integrated with the SuOOMKI, Su-ЗОМКА, and Su-30MKM aircraft. Efforts are underway to further enhance the BARS performance. Phase 1 upgrad¬ing efforts are supposed to:

"¢ More than double the air target detection range.
"¢ Increase the number of tracked and engaged targets 15 to 2 times.
"¢ Double mapping performance as regards ground target detection range and resolution.
"¢ Double the number of tracked ground targets.
"¢ Add new operation modes in air-to-air and air-to-surface missions (particularly, Meteo, Active Counter-measures modes).
"¢ Expand interaction with other avionics systems (ECM, EO target¬ing system, etc.).
"¢ Extend the range of weapons.
"¢ Enhance formation mission capabilities.
"¢ Introduce service proposals. Implementing thesL> measures

will give the BARS tangible advan¬tages over radar systems installed both on current aircraft like F-15, F-16, F-18, etc. and their versions with respect to the transition to active electronically scanned arrays (AESA).

We should mention fifth-genera¬tion aircraft's AESA radar systems representing a pledge of over¬whelming superiority over the AESA radars are generally com¬pared to non-AESA radars, but in fact the question involves limitations of mechanically scanned antennas. The BARS radar uses a passive electronically scanned array (PESA). The PESA is not the AESA, however it offers the same key advantage over mechanically scanned antennas - a capability of almost instantaneously pointing the antenna beam in the desired direc¬tion (within several microseconds for the AESA and hundreds of microseconds far the PESA).

AESA's key advantages over the PESA are significantly higher reliability of antenna transmitting channel and a wider operating band. This favors the system's ECM immu¬nity and allows more missions to be handled simultaneously. Moreover, it should be noted that upon comple¬tion of the BARS Phase 1 upgrading program, a changeover to the AESA will be made. Then, both AESA- and PESA-equipped aircraft can be operated concurrently.

For many customers, the basic and essential deficiency of the AESA radar systems is their high cost exceeding that of the PESA radar by several times. Tikhomirov Institute's researchers have long been working on PESA and AESA anten¬nas, but they think that the capabilities of cheaper and simpler passive array radars have not yet been exhausted.

The BARS history out¬line is as follows. Development of the sys¬tem began in the 1990s when our country was facing serious problems. Nevertheless, it became possible to establish strong cooperation in the development and series production of radar con¬trol systems. First of all, we should mention the Rya/.an State Instrument Plant that fine-tuned design documentation and new production processes, primarily related to passive phased array antennas, while simultaneously conducting R&D and supporting production deliveries. Besides, worthy of note are key contributors to the radar development and deliveries such as NPO Radyi (Moscow), ZAO Kotlin-Novator, NPO Leninets (St. Petersburg), NPO Alma/ (Saratov), NPO Istok (Moscow), and ZAO Almaz-Phazotron.

For the first time ever the radar system projected for combat aircraft involved the use of computing aids developed and supplied for produc¬tion models by the Indian side. As of today, the number of manufactured BARS systems is approaching 200.

 

[IBRIS]

OLS-35 IRST option for Su-30 family

14.10.2009+11-43-43_0028.jpg (image)

A contemporary fighter needs periodically upgrade to keep pace with the human technical progress. One of the most promising sensor system for this is the IRST systems, allowing detection of the enemy in air, on the ground and ocean surface. One of the most prominent developers and manufacturers of such systems in Russia is FSUE 'Science-Research Institute for Precision Instrument Engineering' (Moscow). Its traditional specialization was the laser-optical systems for space installations. The production is intended for high-precision trajectory measurements in visible and IR spectrum and laser ranging of objects, like satellite and missiles.

Other products are as follow:

- Quantum-optic systems for trajectory measurement, photometry, satellite and missiles in fly picturing.
- Laser retro-reflecting systems
- Geodesic satellites
- Inter-satellite laser communication systems
- GLONASS satellites communication systems
- Laser range-finders for space crafts
- Ecologic monitoring systems
- Atmospheric laser communication systems

The IRST (OLS) systems – are a relative new part in the Institute's activity. Despite this, it offers now two IRST systems with superb technical characteristics. One of them – OLS-UE is offered as a part of MiG-35 program, and the second – is OLS-35 installed on Su-35 fighter, 50 of which were contracted by the Russian AF. OLS-35 is also available for all Su-27/Su-30 family upgrade. It can be a part of Su-30MKI upgrading deal, which is negotiated now in Moscow (Oct.14-15) in the Indo-Russian tech-mil committee summit.



Both stations have almost analogous ability with longer range for OLS-35. They implement the follow features:

- Airspace scanning in air-to-air mode
- Aerial, ground and water surface target detection, locking-on and tracking
- Ground surface scanning
- Target image recognition
- Target angular coordinates, range and angular and linear velocity determination
- TV, IR and TV+IR video and message output to the cockpt multifunctional displays
- Interaction with the aircraft targeting and guidance complex
- Operation at a full range of altitudes, ground and sky backgrounds, day and night, in different visual meteorological conditions and jamming interference
- Ground target illumination by laser emission
- Autonomous functioning and radio silence mode
In addition, according to the manufacturer, OLS-35 is able for detection and tracking of a laser mark on the target.

The difference in specs of two IRSTs is as follow:

OLS-UE OLS-35

Scanning angular limits
Azimuth +-90 +-90
Elevation -15/+60 -15/+60

Airborne target detection range, km
In rear hemisphere 60 90
In front hemisphere 15 35

Range measurement, km
Airborne 15 20
Ground 20 30

Instant field-of-view 10 x 7.5 10 x 7.5
Dimension 729 x 386 x 410 740 x 807 x 608
Mass, kg 78 83

14.10.2009+11-47-48_0029.jpg (image)

 

[luckyy]

mig-21 upgraded , mig-27 upgraded , mig-29 upgraded , Jaguars upgraded and now su-30mki are upgraded.........

why mirage upgrad hanging............

because of cost ....

 

[nitesh]

don't know how credible this is:
http://www.russiandefenseblog.org/?p=1281
No final contract yet on Brahmos integration on Indian Su-30MKI's

 

[bhramos]

Su-30 MKI IAF In The Line Of Duty

 

[EagleOne]

It's official: Russians are coming to finalize technical aspects of Su-30MKI upgrade programme
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/gene...ine=Russia, India To Finalize Fighter Upgrade

 

[nitesh]

Sukhois set for Gwalior as IAF evolves new tactics

 

[EagleOne]

Soon, inflight refreshments for Sukhoi pilots

BANGALORE: Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots will soon get to relish delicious snacks like halwa and sip fruit juice inside the cockpits of their combat aircraft during long distance sorties.


IAF has asked the Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) to develop light food products in squeezable tubes that the pilots can consume even as they are strapped in their Sukhoi 30 MKIs, Mirage 2000s and the Jaguars.

Dr A S Bawa, director of the Mysorebased DFRL told Express that they have taken up new projects for the IAF and have been developing food products like halwa, pulav and fruit juices that can be consumed from squeezable tubes.

"We have in the past supplied a few food items to the IAF, but they had some issues as the pilots found them difficult to consume while flying at supersonic speeds. But now, during a recent interaction, they asked us to develop a few food items for their pilots," he said.

Bawa added that DFRL is developing a few food items for the IAF which will be similar to ones consumed by astronauts on space missions.

However, there was a huge challenge before the scientists while preparing these food items for the air force.

"Though the food items are similar to the ones consumed by astronauts, here the challenge is greater. The pilots are strapped in the G-suits and hence cannot move their hands freely, hence we have to identify a place where the tubes can be kept. Besides, they travel at much higher speeds and we also have to keep the 'G' factor (gravitational factor) in mind," said Bawa.

The IAF requirement for these food products for their pilots comes as the air force is hoping to transform into a strategic force with its combat aircraft like the Sukhoi 30 MKI, Mirage 2000, Jaguar involved more long distance sorties.

With all these combat aircrafts capable of air-to-air refuelling by the air force's mid-air refueller IL- 78, the sorties have become longer and an example of this is the IAF's participation in exercises in the US and Europe

http://expressbuzz.com/cities/bangalore/soon-inflight-refreshments-for-sukhoi-pilots/188312.html

 

[plugwater]

So the total number is 250+ 40+ 40 ? I thought 230 + 42 - 2.