Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Completes Production of 140 Raw Material Phase Sukhoi Su-30MKI

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)’s Nashik Division has completed production from raw material of 140 Su-30MKI aircraft. In earlier phases, the manufacture was progressively indigenized. The fourth phase constituting the maximum local production with raw material sourced from Sukhoi company. Along with the aircraft, HAL also manufactures the AL31FP engine, from raw materials supplied by Sukhoi at its Engine Division in Koraput. The project completion bring to an end the manufacture of Su-30MKI aircraft for the Indian Air Force from raw material stage constituting phase 4 of the program to manufacture the aircraft under licence from Sukhoi aircraft company in Russia.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is an Indian state-owned aerospace and defence company headquartered in Bangalore (Bengaluru), India. It is governed under the management of the Indian Ministry of Defence. The government-owned corporation is primarily involved in the operations of the aerospace and is currently involved in the design, fabrication and assembly of aircraft, jet engines, helicopters and their spare parts. It has several facilities spread across India including Bangalore, Nasik, Korwa, Kanpur, Koraput, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Barrackpore and Kasaragod. The HAL HF-24 Marut fighter-bomber was the first fighter aircraft made in India.

The Sukhoi Su-30MKI (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.The aircraft is tailor-made for Indian specifications and integrates Indian systems and avionics as well as French and Israeli sub-systems.

The first Russian-made Su-30MKI variant was accepted into the Indian Air Force in 2002, while the first Su-30MKI assembled in India entered service with the IAF in 2004. The Indian Air Force has nearly 260 Su-30MKIs in inventory as of January 2020. The Su-30MKI is expected to form the backbone of the Indian Air Force’s fighter fleet to 2020 and beyond. 220 Sukhoi Su-30MKI being manufactured at HAL’s facilities in Nasik, Koraput and Bangalore. The total contract, which also involves Russia’s Sukhoi Aerospace, is worth US$3.2 billion. India has announced the purchase of a further 12 Su-30MKI aircraft for which negotiations are currently on between the Indian and Russian sides.