RIVISTA ITALIANA DIFESA
New engines for the Indian Su-30MKI 09/10/2024 | Fabio Di Felice

After the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security, the Indian Government signed an agreement with the domestic company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to purchase 240 AL-31FP engines to keep its Russian-designed Sukhoi Su-30MKI fleet airborne for years to come. In detail, according to the Defense Minister’s statement, HAL will receive 260 billion rupees ($3.1 billion) to deliver the ordered engines over an 8-year period, starting in 2025.

It is important to mention that the AL-31FP is a product built by HAL under Russian license, with the support of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), for a 54% of local content. Although the Indian company is confident of reaching a 63% ratio, engines production will still depend on Russian manufacturing and support, especially if the New Delhi Government decides to order the new AL-41FS version. The latter, which represents a more powerful version of the engine, is currently being installed on Russian Su-30SM fighters as part of their recent upgrade.

The Indian Su-30 MKI fleet has exceeded 25-years of service. In its current version, the aircraft is powered by 2 AL-31FP turbojet engines. Each engine generates a full afterburn thrust of 12,500 kg, compared to the AL-31FS which has a thrust of 14,500 kg. The thruster, equipped with thrust vector control, provides a maximum speed of Mach 1.9 in horizontal flight and a climb rate of 300 m/s. The aircraft has a maximum unrefueled flight range of 3,000 km, which could be extended to a maximum range of 8,000 km with 2 refueling. Thanks to the recent modernization, the Su-30MKI fleet is now able to embark new weapons systems as the BRAHMOS and ASTRA-class missiles, with further integration planned with the next-generation NGARMs anti-radar missiles.

The Indian Air Force has approximately 260 Su-30MKIs, 6 of which participated in Exercise PITCH BLACK 2024 in Australia in July. The way India is keeping this fleet modern, and functioning, could serve as reference for the global market, opening opportunities for “a new life” for the aircraft. Indeed, more than 600 Su-27/30-type aircrafts are currently operational around the globe. Countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Algeria could represent a significant export market for Indian and Russian upgrades.

 

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