Boost for IAF’s fighter fleet! Sukhoi 30-MKI jets likely to get new engines in Rs 21,000 crore deal

Sukhoi 30-MKI fighter jets set for a boost! The Defence Ministry is looking to sign a deal worth approximately Rs 21,000 crore to procure jet engines for its Su 30MKI fighter fleet. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will manufacture the engines in India, starting from the raw material stage, to replace the ageing engines nearing the end of their service life.
Sources familiar with the matter told ET that the order for around 230 engines will be placed soon, with deliveries scheduled over the next several years.The total requirement for the AL 31 FP engines is nearly 950, as they power the entire fleet of the twin-engine Su 30MKI fighter.
HAL is producing the engines under a licence arrangement with a high degree of localisation. A significant portion of the order value is expected to be passed on to the vendor and supplier base that HAL has developed over the years.
Besides the new engines, the Su 30MKI fighter jet fleet, which forms the backbone of the Indian Air Force, is set to undergo an upgrade that will include entirely new avionics, radars, and electronic warfare suites. The first phase of the upgrade, which will be carried out entirely in India, will involve close to 100 fighters.
HAL will be the lead agency for the upgrade, valued at over Rs 60,000 crore, in collaboration with the Indian Air Force and other partners. India had initially ordered 272 of the fighter jets from Russia.
The defence ministry has also approved an additional order for 12 more jets, valued at nearly Rs 11,000 crore, to replace aircraft lost in accidents, but the deal has not yet been signed.