The Indian Air Force ordered 40 aircraft in 1996 and an additional ten aircraft in 1998. 18 Su-30K have been delivered which will be upgraded to MKI standard, starting in 2006.
"The SukhoiSu-30M is a multi-role two-seater fighter, broadly comparable to the AmericanF-15E."
First deliveries of ten Su-30MKI full specification aircraft with thrust vectoring and phased array radar took place in September 2002 and deliveries were completed in December 2004.
Hindustani Aeronautics (HAL) is also contracted to build 140 aircraft in India between 2003 and 2017, under a licensed production agreement. The first indigenously assembled aircraft was delivered in November 2004.
38 Su-30MKK and 24 navalised Su-30MK2 aircraft, which do not have thrust vectoring capability, are in service with the Chinese Air Force. In 2003, Malaysia ordered 18 Su-30MKM aircraft. The first two were delivered in May 2007. Four more were delivered in 2007 and four in March 2008 Deliveries are scheduled to conclude by the end of 2008. Also in 2003, Indonesia ordered two Su-30MKK aircraft. A further three Su-30MK2 aircraft were ordered in August 2007. In March 2006, Algeria placed an order for 28 Su-30MKA aircraft. The first was delivered in December 2007. In July 2006, Venezuela placed a contract for 24 Su-30MKI aircraft. The first eight were delivered in May 2007 and deliveries concluded in August 2008. An order for 12 additional aircraft is planned.
Vladimir Sautov said Thursday at the Singapore Airshow 2010 that work to integrate the missiles for deployment on the Sukhoi was currently on at the Rosoboronexport, the Sukhoi Design Bureau and NPO Mashinostroyeniya (Russian partner in BrahMos JV).
Stating that Russia may offer the upgraded version of the Sukhoi fighters in two years time, he said the modernization program included re-equipping of some of the fighters, which are currently in service with the IAF.
Trials are scheduled for next year and targets fitment in 2012.Sautov also said as the land and sea version of the missile was "large, heavy and powerful," a lighter version was currently under development, which would enable Su-30MKI fighters to carry upto three missiles.
With this, India would acquire the capability to fire these missiles from land, sea as well as air. The sea-based and land-based versions of the missile have already been successfully tested and put into service with the Indian Army and Navy.
With an ability to effectively engage ground targets from an altitude as low as 10 meters, the 290 kilometer-range missile is capable of carrying a conventional warhead of up to 300 kilogram and attain a top speed of Mach 2.8, which is about three times faster than the U.S.-made subsonic Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The IAF initially ordered 50 Su-30MKI aircraft from Russia in 1996 and an additional 40 in 2007.
State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was also contracted to build 140 of the frontline fighter jets between 2003 and 2017 under a licensed production agreement.
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