Indian Modernization Program for Su-30MKI Fighters

03 Januari 2024

A modified Su-30MKI fighter of the Indian Air Force (Indian military number SB129) with a BrahMos supersonic missile suspended under the fuselage on display at the Aero India 2023 aerospace exhibition in Bangalore, February 2023 (photo: Rosoboronexport JSC)

According to the Indian Ministry of Defense, there is currently an official plan to improve the combat capabilities of the Su-30MKI fighter jets.

As a further development of the Russian Su-27 fighter, the Su-30MKI fighter will undergo significant modernization, including the integration of modern and advanced technologies that are used in 4.5 generation combat aircraft.

Indian state-owned aircraft manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is looking to integrate upgrades into the Su-30MKI such as modern airborne weapons, namely the locally produced Rudram anti-radar missile and the Nirbhay long-range subsonic cruise missile.

Rudram missiles (photo: Indian Defense Analysis)

Rudram family of missiles

The Rudram series of air-to-surface missiles was developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) to combat enemy air defense systems. These missiles, which are designed to identify and destroy enemy radars, communications and other radio sources, can be launched by various Indian Air Force fighters at different speeds and from different altitudes.

The Rudram family of missiles consists of several versions of products with different flight ranges and capabilities. India's first indigenous anti-radar missile, Rudram-1, was successfully tested in 2020. The plans provide that the products being developed under the Rudram-2 and Rudram-3 programs will have a longer flight range and higher speeds, which will help increase the capabilities of the Indian Air Force to suppress enemy air defense (SEAD actions).

The homing system of the Rudram family of missiles includes passive and active radar, inertial and satellite navigation, as well as thermal imaging channels. The design variant, altitude and initial launch speed determine the range of these missiles. For example, Rudram-1 has a range of 150 km, Rudram-2 has a range of 300 km and Rudram-3 has a range of 550 km.

Nirbhay cruise missile (photo: DRDO)

Nirbhay Cruise Missile

Nirbhay is an all-weather, long-range subsonic air-launched cruise missile; it is developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). The missile can be launched from various platforms, both in non-nuclear and nuclear versions.

To launch Nirbhay, a solid rocket booster is used, which is jettisoned after reaching the required speed and altitude. Subsequently, a turbofan engine is used to generate additional thrust. The missile control system includes inertial and satellite navigation systems, as well as a radio altimeter. The missile design also includes an active radar homing system, electro-optical and thermal imaging guidance systems at the final stage of the flight path.

Nirbhay has a range of up to 1,500 km and can reach a speed of Mach 0.9 (1,070 km/h).

The flight path of Nirbhay lies at altitudes from 50 m to 4 km or at extremely low altitudes to avoid detection by enemy radar stations. The missile is capable of flying at extremely low altitudes over water and loitering in a holding area, which in practice means that it can bypass a target, perform a series of maneuvers, and then attack it again. The missile also has the ability to attack one target from a group of targets.

Brahmos ER missile (photo: Economic Times)

Extended Range of BrahMos Missile 

BrahMos missile, a joint Indian-Russian development, is a supersonic cruise missile that can be fired from a variety of launch vehicles such as fighter aircraft, submarines, surface ships and coastal systems. Known for its high speed (3,700 km/h), accuracy and adaptability, the missile has been officially adopted by the Indian Armed Forces.

The Indian Air Force recently successfully tested the air-launched extended-range BrahMos missile, enhancing its ability to engage targets at greater distances. The BrahMos ER variant boasts supersonic flight speed and a range of destruction of ground and sea targets from 400 to 500 km.

Virupaaksha AESA radar (photo: Varun Karthikeyen)

Modernization of on-board equipment

Other changes planned for the modernized Su-30MKI include a redesigned cockpit with state-of-the-art touchscreen displays, an improved on-board digital computer, and the installation of an on-board active phased array radar station of domestic production.

When it comes to cockpit upgrades, pilots and navigators will benefit from next-generation, larger touchscreens that will help them execute missions while providing better data visualization for more resilient operations.

Su-30 MKI Super Sukhoi cockpit (photo: Su57)

In addition, the Su-30MKI fighter will be equipped with a domestic Virupaaksha airborne radar station with an advanced active phased array antenna.

At the same time, the Su-30MKI onboard digital computer, a critical element of the fighter's avionics system, will be modified to properly control the advanced Virupaaksha airborne radar, as well as an expanded suite of aircraft weapons and a state-of-the-art flight deck.

The total cost of modernizing the Su-30mki is estimated at $7.5 billion; The Indian Air Force calls this metamorphosis of the fighter "Super Sukhoi".

Sukhoi 30 MKI to be 78% indigenised (image: Times of India)

Same engine and airframe

The upgrade is energy-intensive, and the official announcement makes no mention of engine modification or airframe strengthening. Russia, on the contrary, is modernizing its fleet of Su-30SM fighters so that they have the same power plant as the Su-35S fighters. This entails the replacement of AL-31FP engines with AL-41F1S engines on Su-30SM fighters. The latter, along with the Irbis-E airborne radar station, was proposed for the conversion of the Su-30MKI of the Indian Air Force. There were reports of testing of the Su-30SM with the new engine in 2022, but the December 2023 press statement about the delivery of the fighters made no mention of the engine.

This month, the commander of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, said that the Su-30MKI, after a large-scale modernization of the Indian HAL, will no longer be considered a Russian aircraft. He emphasized that the Su-30MKI was modernized by 78% using domestic technologies, including an airborne active phased array radar, aircraft missiles, situational lighting and avionics. He also added that the Su-30MKI will be significantly modernized at the first stage in order to become a formidable 4.5+ generation aircraft complex, which will be in service with the Indian Air Force along with other domestically produced aircraft.

(BMPD)