India's main fighter jet Su-30MKI set for ₹66,829 Cr Super-30 upgrade

India is ramping up its air combat fleet as tensions with Pakistan and China remain high. With only 31–32 operational fighter squadrons, far below the sanctioned strength of 41–42, the Defence Ministry is about to acquire new aircraft and upgrade the existing Su-30MKI fleet under the "Super-30" project.

"Super-30" project

Each squadron has about 18 fighter jets and two trainers. The Su-30MKI is the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) main combat aircraft. 

Developed jointly with Russia, Su-30MKI is a 4.5-generation jet.

India currently operates 272 Su-30MKIs. Under the Super-30 project, 84 of these jets are reportedly being planned for an upgrade over the next 3–4 years. [Source: The Economic Times]

The upgrade is expected to be valued between $2.4 and $7.8 billion (₹66,829 crore), as reported by India Defence News. 

The operational life of the aircraft is expected to extend until 2055 with these upgrades.

Meanwhile, India is developing its indigenous fifth-generation fighter jet program.

DRDO and HAL have introduced the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project, aiming to make a homegrown fifth-generation fighter within the next decade.

Twelve Su-30MKIs have been lost in crashes. The Indian government has asked Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to build 12 more to replace these losses, at a cost of ₹13,500 crore.

As reported by The Economic Times, several key systems will be added or replaced in the Su-30MKI as part of the upgrade:

Virupaksha radar:Developed by DRDO, this new radar is built on gallium nitride (GaN) technology and uses an active electronically scanned array (AESA) design. It can detect targets up to 300–400 km away and includes 2,400 transmit-receive modules.

Digital cockpit:The aircraft will receive a modern user interface and new avionics to improve pilot awareness and onboard system coordination.

Flight control system:A new 64-bit Digital Flight Control Computer will replace the older 32-bit system, enhancing flight performance and stability.

Air-to-air missiles:The aircraft will be provided with indigenous Astra Mk-2 and Mk-3 missiles, which can engage targets up to 300 km away.

Also read: ‘Building electronics capabilities in a sustained way’: Ashwini Vaishnaw says India to hit 38% value add compared to China in 5 years (startuppedia.in)