Sukhoi Su-30MKI

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Su-30MKI

An Indian Air Force Su-30MKI

Multirole Air superiority
Role
fighter
National origin Russia / India
Design group Sukhoi Design Bureau
Hindustan Aeronautics
Limited (assembled under
Built by
licence)
IAF Su-30: 1 July 1997
First flight
Su-30MKI: 2000
Introduction 27 September 2002
In service
Status
Primary user Indian Air Force
Su-30MKI: 2000present
Produced
Number built 220 as of August 2014[1]
Unit cost
358 crore (US$54 million)[2]
Developed from Sukhoi Su-30
Sukhoi Su-30MKM
Variants
The Sukhoi Su-30MKI[3] (NATO reporting name: Flanker-H) is a twinjet Multirole Air
superiority fighter developed by Russia's Sukhoi and built under licence by India's Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). A variant of the Sukhoi Su-30, it is a
heavy, all-weather, long-range fighter.

Development of the variant started after India signed a deal with Russia in 2000 to manufacture
140 Su-30 fighter jets.[4] The first Russian-made Su-30MKI variant was accepted into the Indian
Air Force in 2002,[5] while the first indigenously assembled Su-30MKI entered service with the
IAF in 2004.[6] Additional MKIs have been ordered to increase the total to 272. The IAF had 200
Su-30MKIs in service as of August 2014.[1] The Su-30MKI is expected to form the backbone of
the Indian Air Force's fighter fleet to 2020 and beyond.[7]
The aircraft is tailor-made for Indian specifications and integrates Indian systems and avionics as
well as French and Israeli sub-systems.[8] It has abilities similar to the Sukhoi Su-35 with which
it shares many features and components.[9][10]