Monday, October 05, 2009

DTN News: India Requires Another 50 Su-30MKI Fighter Jet Aircrafts From Russia

DTN News: India Requires Another 50 Su-30MKI Fighter Jet Aircrafts From Russia *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - October 5, 2009: India wants to buy another 50 Sukhoi-30MKI multi-role fighters, an Indian daily reported on Friday. According to The Times of India, the 50 air-superiority fighters will come on top of the 230 already contracted from Russia in three deals worth a total of $8.5 billion. Purchases by India of the Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighters, which have significantly enhanced combat capabilities of the Indian Air Force, and previous sales of the Su-27 and Su-30 fighters to China and Vietnam may determine further development of air forces in the Asia-Pacific region and help maintain the balance of power. The competition on the Asia-Pacific military aircraft market, made ever keener by the recent sales of the Su-30MKI fighters, requires from potential buyers a clear understanding of basic specifics of aircraft. The flight performance, technical characteristics and combat capabilities of any aircraft primarily depend on their assigned role, tactical tasks and mission environment. These factors alone distinguish the Russian fighter from its foreign counterparts. The Su-30MKI design, having retained the best features of the unsurpassed Su-27 air-superiority fighter, boasts enhanced functional capabilities. It should be noted that comparison of the Su-30MKI, a heavy-class fighter, with the F-16C Block 50, F-16C Block 60, and F-18E/F aircraft is largely theoretical, as they belong to conceptually different fighter classes and have their own, preferential areas of combat employment. For example, the F-18E/F version, owing to the F/A-18 basic design, features a more pronounced strike-mission capability, while in terms of dimensions, this aircraft is close to the Russian fighter. The paper quoted Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Marshal P V Naik as saying his force was indeed "interested" in acquiring more Sukhois, which will be "the mainstay of India's fighter fleet for the foreseeable future, to further enhance its combat potential." He stressed, however, that the acquisition was not "country or adversary-specific." India previously said it was satisfied with the performance of Russian Su-30MKI fighters. The IAF originally ordered 50 Su-30MKI aircraft from Russia in 1996-98 and an additional 40 planes in 2007. Hindustani Aeronautics (HAL) was also contracted to build 140 aircraft in India between 2003 and 2017 under a licensed production agreement.

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