India’s Su-30MKI upgrade is hampered by sanctions against Russia
India’s upgrade of a portion of its Su-30 fleet is on hold because of Russian actions in Ukraine. (Gordon Arthur)
India's armed forces are heavily reliant on Russia for equipment, but the latter's invasion of Ukraine is having knock-on effects for India's Su-30 fighters.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has been forced to defer an upgrade of a large number of its Russian-origin Su-30MKI multirole fighters to the ‘Super Sukhoi’ standard due to sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
Senior industry officials said the proposed retrofit of 85 of around 260 licence-built Su-30MKIs had included replacing the fighter’s digital multimode dual-frequency NIIP N011M Bars radar with an AESA one.
The work was to have been jointly executed by India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation.
Announced by former ACM R.K.S Bhaduria in 2019, the upgrade also involved fitting
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Air Warfare
-
![DSEI 2025: New AR3 EVO puts Tekever’s modularity ambitions under the spotlight]()
DSEI 2025: New AR3 EVO puts Tekever’s modularity ambitions under the spotlight
An evolution of the Tekever AR3, the AR3 EVO that broke cover at DSEI incorporates the thousands of incremental evolutions the company has implemented through its spiral development, geared towards delivering a constant stream of improved aircraft to Ukraine.
-
![DSEI 2025: Schiebel reveals two weaponised Camcopter UAVs]()
DSEI 2025: Schiebel reveals two weaponised Camcopter UAVs
The new capabilities are based on platforms already in use or in development, and are designed to perform in demanding defence missions.
-
![The Future of Air Defense: IAI-ELTA's Cutting-Edge Multi-Sensor Radar Solutions]()
The Future of Air Defense: IAI-ELTA's Cutting-Edge Multi-Sensor Radar Solutions
In an era of rapidly evolving threats, where drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic salvos redefine the battlefield, IAI‑ELTA Group stands at the forefront with its revolutionary radar technology. At the heart of this technological leap lies the ELM-2084 Multi‑Mission Radar (MMR) and its latest evolution, the Multi‑Sensor MMR (MS-MMR).
-
![DSEI 2025: BAE Systems FalconWorks and Lockheed Martin Skunk Works to collaborate on new UAV range]()
DSEI 2025: BAE Systems FalconWorks and Lockheed Martin Skunk Works to collaborate on new UAV range
The uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) will start off in the electronic warfare space, according to the companies, to support existing crewed frontline platforms, with many major details still to be disclosed.
-
![DSEI 2025: MGI Engineering launches new deep strike OWE TigerShark]()
DSEI 2025: MGI Engineering launches new deep strike OWE TigerShark
The British-built long-range strike one-way effector (OWE) is the latest offering from the company, which demonstrated its smaller OWE SkyShark in July.
