India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) on 16 September cleared the acquisition of 12 Su-30MKI fighter jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF), in the biggest deal for Russian-origin equipment for the armed forces since the beginning of the special military operation.
Sources told the ET that in the past few months, that payments for the order had eased out, enabling transfer of money to Russian defence entities.
The MoD will procure the 12 fighters from Indian state enterprise Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which licence manufactures the Su-30MKI in India.
The Indo-Russian contract requires that all raw material needed for the Su-30MKI - including 5,800 titanium blocks and forgings, and aluminium and steel plates - must come from Russia, as must such items (7,146) as nuts, bolts, screws, and rivets. The Russian components will be delivered to HAL in kit form. In May 2016, the then chairman and managing director of HAL, T Suvarna Raju, told the press that HAL had absorbed all Su-30MKI technology sent by Russia.
"Today all components defined in the scope of transfer of technology are made in India by HAL with 100 percent technology absorption for airframe and engines," he said.
The additional 12 fighter jets and associated equipment are likely to cost around INR 11,000 crore ($1.33Mln).
The jets will include several avionic and communication instruments of Indian origin and they will be integrated with domestically produced weapon systems.
12 Su-30MKI Kits Ready For Delivery From Russia
In July 2022, the state-owned Russian military manufacturer Rostec's press service said it was ready to supply the kits to support HAL's production of another 12 Su-30MKI fighters.
"Joint Stock Company Rosoboronexport - within the framework of the Make in India programme - is ready to supply additional technical kits for the assembly of the Su-30MKI and carry out joint work on their modernisation, including the integration of the latest aviation weapons, avionics," the corporation noted.
Modernisation of Su-30MKI
According to the ET, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has also granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for modernisation of the Su-30MKI by HAL.
The scope and depth of modernisation has not yet been defined. The IAF has already considered a substantial performance upgrade to make the Su-30MKI comparable to the Su-35S. Russia has upgraded its Su-30SM fighter, a Su-30MKI analog with Russian avionics, to the standard of the Su-30SM2 which features performance similar to the Su-35S. A deep upgrade of the IAF's existing Su-30MKI could entail engine and airframe changes which would require joint development by HAL and Russia's UAC.
India's President Droupadi Murmu Takes Sortie on Su-30MKI Fighter Jet
© Photo : Social Media
S-400 Delivery Completion
The easing of the difficulties in Indian payments to Russia puts into context Russian ambassador to India Denis Alipov's remarks last month that the "S-400 will be delivered on time".
Alipov told ANI: "As far as the S-400 deliveries are concerned, they have been on track and the chiefs of the Russian companies involved in those supplies have confirmed on record that supplies will be concluded in time and according to the schedule agreed with our Indian partners."
The Russian Ambassador emphasised that delivery problems occurred because of sanctions on Russia and said that they have been overcome with hard work.
India and Russia signed a contract valued at $5.43Bln on 5 October 2018 for delivery of the S-400 system from Russia. Under the terms of the contract, Russia will supply India with five regimental sets of S-400s, each with a command post and two battalions of eight launchers each.
Russia has so far delivered three regiments. The remaining two are to be delivered by the end of 2023. The highly mobile and automated S-400 systems, which can track 100 to 300 targets simultaneously, can be used to protect cities during war or vital installations such as nuclear power plants.
S-400 missile defence systems at the repetition of the Victory Day Parade, May 2019.
© Sputnik / Сергей Гунеев
/ Additional Su-30MKI Order?
In May 2018, HAL reportedly proposed to sell the IAF additional Su-30MKIs which are compatible with the Brahmos-A. The contemplated sale would increase the IAF’s inventory of the Russian fighter from 272 to 312 Su-30s (16 squadrons).
HAL's former chairman, T Suvarna Raju, said: “We will offer a very competitive price. Since 2010, we have been delivering the Su-30 at Rs425 crore. We can deliver another three squadrons at that same price.” The price quoted is a third the cost of France's Rafale and to keep costs low, the fighter would be built using kits supplied by Russia.
“HAL has already absorbed the technology for building and supporting the Su-30. Now, the aim is to build those three new squadrons as quickly, and as cheaply, as possible”, said Raju.
Explaining the reason for HAL's offer, Raju said: “We are required to modify 40-odd Sukhoi-30s to carry the BrahMos ALCM. Instead of upgrading older fighters, with a shorter residual lifespan, it would be better to build three more squadrons of Sukhois with the capability to carry BrahMos missiles.”
“It is easier and better to kit out new Su-30s to carry the BrahMos, rather than carrying out structural modifications to old aircraft”, said Raju.
Ukraine Conflict Lessons
The HAL sale pitch apparently didn't appeal to the IAF leadership when it was made. However, based on the conflict in Ukraine, there is a chance that the IAF could take a fresh look at the HAL offer.
One of the most important lessons from air operations in Ukraine has been that supersonic and hypersonic missiles have a much higher likelihood of striking and destroying their targets, compared with slower missiles. Russia's supersonic Onyx missile - a predecessor to the Brahmos - hypersonic Iskander-M quasi-ballistic missile and the Kinzhal aeroballistic missile are the weapons most feared by the Ukrainian military.
Not only does high speed make a missile more difficult to engage even by an adversary with advanced AD systems - the increased destructive energy because of its speed makes the missile much more lethal.
Conclusion
India's special strategic relationship with Russia has given the country affordable access to high-tech weapons. More than 25 years since it was adopted by the IAF, the Su-30 remains a potent weapon system. Because of its size and high aerodynamic performance, there will be scope to upgrade the fighter with increasingly advanced sensors and weapon systems for many decades. With stealth fighters being introduced into the IAF inventory, a heavy fighter such as the Su-30MKI may well become more, rather than less relevant. The scope to use the fighter as a weapons truck for a stealth fighter penetrating highly contested airspace is immense.
Like the Su-30MKI, the S-400 is a proved and unmatched integrated air defence system (IADS). The IAF's requirement for the IADS far exceeds the five regiments ordered so far. In the past, both Indian and Russian officials have alluded to local manufacture of the S-400 in India. The system has an open architecture that will allow it to work with Indian AD systems such MR-SAM, Akash S1 and Akash NG.
Russia's willingness to share advanced technology makes it imperative for India to continue its mutually beneficial defence partnership.