Su-30 FLANKER (SUKHOI)
Codenamed `Flanker' by NATO, the twin-seat SU-30, a derivative of the Su-27, is a multi-role fighter bomber and air superiority aircraft which can also be used in the maritime strike role. The Flanker has and operational radius of around 1500 km, and are equipped with an inflight refuelling facility extending their radius by another 500 km.
The Mirage-2000-5 and the SU-30K were the two aircraft that were considered to be feasible alternatives to replace obsolescent aircraft that the Air Force planned to phase out. While both aircraft were still under development, the Mirage-2000-5 was designed ab initio as a multi-role aircraft with identified avionics systems and weaponry. The SU-30K on the other hand was designed only for an air defence role.
The Su-30MKI version was designed for India. The Su-30MK is equipped by the latest radars designed by Indian specialists and with the Akash air-to-air missile. The Sukhoi-30 can be modified into a naval version, if the Indian Government chose to deploy it on an aircraft carrier.
In order to improve the declining combat capability of the Air Force owing to fleet obsolescence, the Ministry contracted in November 1996 for supply of 40 SU-30 aircraft and associated equipment with its manufacturer at a total cost of US $1462 million, equivalent to Rs 5122 crore. In addition, an expenditure of Rs 1188 crore was estimated on indigenous development and import of avionics systems. The contract provided for supply of eight SU-30K air defence aircraft during 1997 and 32 upgraded SU-30MK multi-role aircraft between 1998 and 2001.
The Government of India approved acquisition of 40 SU-30 aircraft and associated equipment at a cost of Rs 6310 crore and concluded a contract in November 1996. The contract contemplated induction of fully upgraded SU-30MK aircraft in a phased manner commencing from the first half of 2001. However, the unrealistic assumptions regarding the capability of timely indigenous development of certain avionics systems and lead time for import of the systems of Western origin for upgradation of the SU-30K air defence aircraft into multi-role SU-30MK version seriously jeopardised the schedule of induction of this aircraft into the Air Force, to make good the phasing out of the older aircraft.
The Ministry selected the SU-30K on the grounds that after upgradation into a multi-role aircraft (to be designated SU-30MK) it would still be cheaper than the Mirage-2000-5 and also have superior capabilities in terms of range and the load delivery. It should be noted, however, that the relative superiority of the SU-30MK was based on assumptions that certain avionics systems which were only conceptualised at that stage, would be successfully designed/developed in India and others would be imported from Western sources and then integrated into the SU-30K in order to enhance its capabilities, from a purely air defence role to multi-role capabilities.
The shortcomings of the SU-30K arose from the fact that it was designed and optimised for an air defence role. Their electronic warfare system was unsuitable to meet the Indian threat environment and the radar performance was below expectation.
The navigation system lacked accuracy, very limited capability existed for accurate weapon delivery and weapon system controls were poorly integrated. Although, the aircraft was capable of a large weapon load, the air to ground armament did not include any precision guided munitions, a key requirement during the Kargil Operation.
On account of the large size and range of the aircraft, it was difficult for the aircraft to survive against threat of modern air defence weapon systems unless its avionics, radar and electronic warfare systems were upgraded and well integrated.
Under the contract, the Irkutsk aircraft production association will deliver 40 Su-30s in different versions to the Indian air force. In June 1997 the first batch of eight Sukhoi Su-30 MK fighters were inducted into the Indian Air Force's 24 Squadron at the Lohagaon air base near Pune. India was expected to import a total of 40 Russian fighters by March 1999. Deliveries were initially to start in the spring of 1998, but Indian Defense Ministry experts delayed their decision on the avionics equipment for the planes.
As of mid-2000 India had received only eight SU-30K air defence aircraft and none of the upgraded SU-30MK multi-role aircraft in the Rs 6310-crore deal signed with Russia in 1996. There had been no deliveries after May 1997. India's Defence Research Development Organisation had failed to develop and supply key avionics sub-systems and failed to procure Western avionics to equip the SU-30MK aircraft for its designated multi-role.
The upgradation was to be achieved by integrating avionics to be imported or developed by India and supplied to the aircraft manufacturer. While 10 out of the 40 aircraft, scheduled to be delivered during 2001 were to be fully upgraded, the remaining 30 aircraft were required to be upgraded in India/ manufacturerfs plant in a phased manner during 2001 to 2002.
By 2000 the original induction program of SU-30MK multi-role aircraft had been delayed by 18 to 24 months and was likely to be further delayed. Meanwhile, the Air Force had to live with the depleted force level and was compelled to use the ageing fleet despite an expenditure of Rs 2432 crore as of August 1999. The Ministry chose to follow an uncertain route of joint development by equipping the SU-30K air defence aircraft with modern avionics systems to be imported and supplied by Government of India and through indigenous development and production, to convert it into a multi-role aircraft. The divided responsibility for procurement of the systems and their integration has blurred the responsibility of the manufacturer towards producing an integrated state-of-art multi-role aircraft system.
The development and production of key avionics systems like mission computer, display processor, radar computer etc. taken up by the DRDO1 and associated production agencies was delayed by 30 months. Certain sub-systems were still in the development stage.
Not only did the Ministry fail to ensure development of the systems identified for indigenous development, it also failed to place procurement orders for Western avionics items for supply to the manufacturer as per contracted schedule. Selection and procurement of Western avionics systems was delayed by 4 to 24 months. Contracts for some of the systems had not even been concluded by 2000.
The delay compelled the Ministry to re-schedule the delivery of 22 partially upgraded and 10 fully upgraded versions of SU-30MK multi-role aircraft and ultimate upgradation of the eight SU-30K air defence aircraft. As per the revised schedule only six of the fully upgraded MK version are to be supplied by the manufacturer in place of the original 10 aircraft. Even this revised schedule is not likely to be met due to further delays in development and supply of the avionics systems. The delivery schedule of the upgraded MK multi-role version has already been shifted by at least 18 months.
The aircraft was evaluated without formulating the ASR2 and firming up the need in disregard of the approved guidelines issued in 1992, as recommended by the Public Accounts Committee which stressed the need to formulate the ASR and evaluate the aircraft proposed to be inducted against such ASR/performance parameters.
Apart from revising the original delivery schedule due to delay in development and delivery of indigenous and Western avionics, the Ministry was compelled to import 10 additional SU-30K aircraft at a cost of Rs 1187 crore, which was not suitable for multi-role performance. These were planned to be upgraded to SU-30MK version sometime towards the end of 2003.
At the end of 1999 the Irkutsk aviation industrial association 'Irkut' was finishing the assembly of ten Su-30MK multifunctional long-range for India's Air Forces, equipped with aerial refuelling capabilities. This second series of 10 MKs was completed in early 2000. Twelve similar aircraft followed in 2001, and two final batches of 10 (for a total of 20) Su-30MKIs were scheduled to come after 2003. The aircraft will be progressively converted to the MKI configuration. After the deliveries are complete, HAL plans to launch production of new modifications of Su-30s under a Russian license in cooperation with Sukhoi.
Negotiations to license the production of the Su-30MKI to the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) works of India continued in 1997. The Indians received feasibility plans, and it was thought that a final decision would be reached quickly. Production in India would begin after 2001. In all, India might produce 100 warplanes in a contract worth more than $1 billion. However, as of mid-1999 negotiations on the contract for the licensed production of Su-30MKI fighter by HAL remained delayed due to the government crisis in India, which could not be resolved until after the Fall 1999 elections. The two sides had agreed on all the basic issues, including the value of the licensing contract.
In late December 2000, India and Russia agreed to the licensed production of the Su-30MKI, following the visit of President Vladimir Putin to India in October 2000. The deal signed in Irkutsk, where the factory manufacturing the Su-30s is located, was worth more than $3 billion, and provided for the production of 140 Su-30 fighters at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) over a period of 20 years.
A General Contract was signed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) with Russian Agency – Rosoboronexport on December 28, 2000 for license manufacture of 140 SU 30 MK 1 aircraft. Collaboration is for the licensed production of 140 SU 30 MK 1 aircraft along with additional engines and sets of aggregates to cater for the lifetime exploitation of the aircraft. The Russian side will provide for supply of license technical documents, specific non-standardised equipment and toolings based on the request for Indian side, technical assistance for preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR), deputation of Russian Specialists to the project site, training of Indian engineers in Russia etc., and supply of technical kits in different stages of production. The DPR has been received and is being studied. Once the DPR has been approved, the production of SU 30 MK 1 aircraft in India is planned to commence during 2004-2005.
By mid-2003 28 of the 50 SU-30 aircraft contracted had been delivered. The delivery of the remaining aircraft was expected to be completed by December this year. They were being delivered in batches. One hundered and forty SU-30 MKI aircraft would be manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd under transfer of technology arrangement with Russia. The production of these 140 aircraft by HAL was planned to be completed by 2017-18.
According to a December 7, 2004 IRNA story, Russia would complete its deliveries to India of Su-30 MKI aircraft by the end of 2004. According to the report, four aicraft were already in India with the remaining six to be delivered by December 20, 2004.
The first indigenously built Sukhoi MK-I was inducted into the Air Force in March 2005. The aircraft assembled at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Ozhar near Nashik rolled out in November 2004. It was the first of the 140 aircraft proposed to be built in India under Russian license. SU-30 aircraft is a twin engine, twin seater, multi-role fighter that can simultaneously be operated as an intercepter, bomber and trainer. It is capable of attaining a maximum speed of two Mach with a maximum climb rate of 270 metres per second.
In the interview of Ambassador of India to Russia His Excellency Mr. Kanwal Sibal by to Mr. Pravin Sawhney, editor, Force (August 27, 2007), the Ambassador noted that a contract of additional 40 SU-30 MKI aircraft was signed on 30 March 2007 with HAL. But on account of unresolved price escalation issues with Rosoboronexport, it will take some more time to implement the project. Eighteen SU-30K aircraft were initially procured during 1997 and 1999. These were an older variant and were required to meet the immediate operational requirements of the IAF. A contract for replacement of SU-30 K aircraft with SU-30 MKI aircraft (SWAP project) was signed in March 2007. By August 2007 the upgradation of SU-30 MKI Phase-I/II standard to Phase III standard was under progress at HAL (ND) by the Russian team. The work of upgrade on first batch of four aircraft has commenced from May 2007. Consequent to the formation of the two working groups under the rubric of the sixth military bilateral talks held in New Delhi in December 2006, progress was made on various issues. As of August 2007, India needed a spare parts price list for SU-30 MKI as provided for in the contract. It was to be supplied within the expiry of the warranty period of the aircraft. India was trying to resolve the problem of receiving import clearances from the Russian side for dispatch of Cat D aggregates with respect to the repair/overhaul contracts. This delay led to high turn over time for repair resulting in unserviceability of the fleet. The Russian side conveyed that they were taking measures to simplify procedures and reduce the time delay. Direct access to OEMs for technical queries was an important issue. The Federal Services for Military Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) controls all the OEMs and they respond to technical queries only on instructions from the former. This led to delay in transmission of information. The issue of dealing directly with OEMs had been taken up with the Russian side and a response was awaited as of August 2007. Various Bulletins/Technical tasks issued by the Russian OEMs are not communicated to the Indian side. In most cases, the Indian side was told about the existence of Bulletins/Technical tasks only after the occurrence of an accident/incident. The Indian side requested that the Indian side should be part of the standard mailing list and Bulletins should be supplied to India as and when issued.
