New Radars, EWS, Advance Weapons And More: IAF's Sukhoi Fighter Jets Set To Undergo Rs 60,000 Crore Upgrade With Major Private Sector Role

The Su 30MKI fighter jet fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to undergo an extensive modernisation programme, involving new radars, mission control system, electronic warfare capabilities, and the integration of advanced weapon systems, with substantial contributions from the private sector.

The Defence Ministry had last year sanctioned the Rs 60,000-crore upgrade, which will be done by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), woth support from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

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A significant portion of the components will be sourced from private sector.

"The upgrade will see significant private sector participation, with HAL as the lead integrator," CMD of HAL CB Ananthakrishnan was quoted as saying by The Economic Times.

The Air Force had put the project on fast track and it will be carried out in two phases.

The first phase will focus on updating avionics and radar systems, while the second phase will revamp flight control systems.

The upgrade aims to replace several Russian-made systems with indigenous alternatives.

A majority of the work will involve indigenous systems that are to be fitted onboard the platform to give it a combat edge, ET reported.

This includes a new indigenous radar system designed to detect and engage targets at much larger distances, addressing the limitations of the radar technology in older jets that would get outperformed by systems used by adversaries.

The first phase will also equip the aircraft with a new Electronic Warfare System to jam incoming threats and disrupt enemy communications, alongside new domestic Infra Red Search and Track systems to improve engagement with air-to-air and air-to-ground targets.

Integration of these new systems is expected to commence this year, as the Air Force aims to expedite the modernisation of its entire Sukhoi fleet.

Around 90 fighters are slated for the initial upgrade phase, to be conducted entirely within India.

India procured 272 of these fighter jets from Russia, which are central to the Air Force's operational capabilities.

An additional order for 12 jets was approved last year for Rs 11,000 crore, with HAL manufacturing these aircraft with over 50 per cent indigenous components.

With over 600 Su 27/30 aircraft produced and serving in countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Algeria, the project also opens up a significant export market for the upgrades as well.

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