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
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Air Warfare
-
![Maximise survivability with advanced electronic warfare (video)]()
Maximise survivability with advanced electronic warfare (video)
BAE Systems’ all-digital EW delivers 360-degree threat awareness in contested environments, boosts survivability, and cuts lifecycle costs.
-
![British Army’s Project Corvus selection highlights new era of drone sovereignty]()
British Army’s Project Corvus selection highlights new era of drone sovereignty
The UK’s choice of the Tekever AR5 for Project Corvus reflects a wider shift in military drone procurement towards solutions that centre on sovereignty and domestic production, moving away from overseas reliance.
-
![FIA 2026: Honeywell Aerospace targets expansion following June spin-off]()
FIA 2026: Honeywell Aerospace targets expansion following June spin-off
Honeywell Aerospace charted its growth strategy as a standalone company, with CEO Jim Currier pointing to record defence budgets and a $19 billion backlog as drivers of expansion.
