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India Seeks Russia’s Help to Upgrade Sukhoi Su-30MKI Jets
(MENAFN) India's Air Force (IAF) is pursuing a sweeping modernization of its frontline fighter fleet, seeking Russian assistance to overhaul a significant portion of its Sukhoi Su-30MKI jets, media reported on Wednesday — a move that underscores New Delhi's deepening defense ties with Moscow.
The development runs parallel to India's accelerating search for a fifth-generation stealth combat aircraft, with Russia's Sukhoi Su-57 emerging as the frontrunner in what could become one of the most consequential military procurement decisions in New Delhi's recent history.
The cornerstone of the fleet modernization effort — the so-called Super Sukhoi upgrade program — currently awaits formal clearance from India's Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). However, the program's scope is constrained, covering only 84 of the IAF's Su-30MKI aircraft, leaving approximately 175 jets without a clear upgrade pathway and prompting New Delhi to seek an alternative route through direct Russian engagement.
Signaling the seriousness of that effort, a high-level Russian delegation recently toured a Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facility — the state-owned manufacturer that builds the Sukhoi aircraft under a license granted by Moscow.
The urgency behind the outreach to Russia stems from a well-documented bottleneck in domestic defense production timelines. HAL-led upgrade programs typically require seven years to execute following official approval — a pace that Indian officials appear unwilling to accept given current strategic demands.
An unidentified source cited in the New Indian Express report warned that exclusive reliance on domestic upgrade initiatives "may push execution to the next decade" — a scenario the IAF is actively working to avoid by bringing Moscow into the equation.
The Su-30MKI itself has been a pillar of Indian airpower since its induction in 2002, representing the India-specific configuration of Russia's broader Su-30 platform.
Meanwhile, negotiations over the potential co-production of the advanced Su-57 stealth fighter on Indian soil have reportedly reached a critical juncture. Vadim Badekha, CEO of Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), disclosed at the Wings India aviation exhibition in January that talks between Moscow and New Delhi are now at an advanced stage.
Those discussions center on transitioning existing Su-30 production facilities in India to manufacture the Su-57, with a strong emphasis on maximizing local industry participation and the integration of indigenous systems — a framework designed to bolster India's self-reliance ambitions under its Atmanirbhar Bharat defense strategy.
The offer on the table is extraordinary by any measure. At the Dubai Airshow in November 2025, Russia put forward full licensed production of the Su-57 in India, coupled with an unrestricted transfer of technology — a degree of access that no Western defense partner has ever extended to New Delhi.
The backdrop to all of this is significant: approximately 60% of India's total military hardware inventory remains of Russian origin, a dependency that gives Moscow considerable strategic leverage — but also one that New Delhi continues to navigate carefully as it diversifies its global defense partnerships.
The development runs parallel to India's accelerating search for a fifth-generation stealth combat aircraft, with Russia's Sukhoi Su-57 emerging as the frontrunner in what could become one of the most consequential military procurement decisions in New Delhi's recent history.
The cornerstone of the fleet modernization effort — the so-called Super Sukhoi upgrade program — currently awaits formal clearance from India's Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). However, the program's scope is constrained, covering only 84 of the IAF's Su-30MKI aircraft, leaving approximately 175 jets without a clear upgrade pathway and prompting New Delhi to seek an alternative route through direct Russian engagement.
Signaling the seriousness of that effort, a high-level Russian delegation recently toured a Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facility — the state-owned manufacturer that builds the Sukhoi aircraft under a license granted by Moscow.
The urgency behind the outreach to Russia stems from a well-documented bottleneck in domestic defense production timelines. HAL-led upgrade programs typically require seven years to execute following official approval — a pace that Indian officials appear unwilling to accept given current strategic demands.
An unidentified source cited in the New Indian Express report warned that exclusive reliance on domestic upgrade initiatives "may push execution to the next decade" — a scenario the IAF is actively working to avoid by bringing Moscow into the equation.
The Su-30MKI itself has been a pillar of Indian airpower since its induction in 2002, representing the India-specific configuration of Russia's broader Su-30 platform.
Meanwhile, negotiations over the potential co-production of the advanced Su-57 stealth fighter on Indian soil have reportedly reached a critical juncture. Vadim Badekha, CEO of Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), disclosed at the Wings India aviation exhibition in January that talks between Moscow and New Delhi are now at an advanced stage.
Those discussions center on transitioning existing Su-30 production facilities in India to manufacture the Su-57, with a strong emphasis on maximizing local industry participation and the integration of indigenous systems — a framework designed to bolster India's self-reliance ambitions under its Atmanirbhar Bharat defense strategy.
The offer on the table is extraordinary by any measure. At the Dubai Airshow in November 2025, Russia put forward full licensed production of the Su-57 in India, coupled with an unrestricted transfer of technology — a degree of access that no Western defense partner has ever extended to New Delhi.
The backdrop to all of this is significant: approximately 60% of India's total military hardware inventory remains of Russian origin, a dependency that gives Moscow considerable strategic leverage — but also one that New Delhi continues to navigate carefully as it diversifies its global defense partnerships.
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