SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
According to a report in “The Hindu”, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has started work on setting Air Service Quality Requirements (ASQR) for the Sukhoi-30MKI upgrade program that is likely will be executed by the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) with several Private sector companies also chipping in the upgrade program. Russia which had offered a comprehensive upgrade package for the modernization of India’s Su-30MKI program for the first time might have to sit out due to economic sanctions forcing IAF to take up all Indian approaches.
As per a source close to idrw.org, HAL has started work on a new Mission Computer (MC) that will be replacing older Indian-made MC due to the obsolescence of the tech and replacing it with a much more powerful chip. Under the Super Sukhoi program, Su-30s will be also getting Indian-made Fly by Wire which likely will be based on tech that was used to develop the latest Fly By wire for the Tejas MkII program.
IAF has cleared the development of upscaled Uttam AESA Fire Control Radar for the program that will be ready in the next 3 years to begin developmental inflight trials on board two flying testbeds that are kept for Radar and weapons trials at Bangalore. Su-30s will be also getting a new EW Suite and Airborne Self Protection Jamming Pod (ASPJ) along with an Ultraviolet-based Missile Approach Warning System (UVMAWS) topped with Indian made infrared search and track (IRST) system.
Su-30MKI will be getting all new indigenous weapons package when they are cleared for production that includes Astra Mk1, Mk2, Mk3 along with Derby-I long range air to air missile plus ASRAAM, Astra IR, Python-5 short-range air-to-air missiles. The Su-30 fleet will be getting new Air Launched Cruise missiles like BrahMos-NG, and Hunter along with Air to Surface missiles like Rudram-1,2,2A, 3 and a new NASM-MR anti-ship missile (AShM).
While reports talk about the Su-30 fleet getting a new engine, idrw.org like to point out that Russia indeed had offered its AL-41 engine with higher trust but that was rejected since IAF favored retaining the current AL-31F engine but they were talks of development of a new 130kN thrust class engine that will be based on the 110kN engine that India plans to develop for the AMCA program but things will get clear only when it comes out officially.
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