Indian state-owned aerospace company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is in talks to produce Sukhoi Su-30 fighters for export, with Russian assistance.
According to Financial Express (FE), the proposal would be supported by Russia, which would involve signing a broader collaboration agreement for joint manufacturing and transfer of necessary technology.
Sources in the defense and security sector confirmed to FE that “HAL is in active talks to build these fighters at its Nashik facility. Russia and the aircraft’s original manufacturer, Sukhoi, agreed to support this production effort, strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries.”
“This collaboration underscores a broader agreement between India and Russia to foster joint manufacturing and technology transfer, as highlighted during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Moscow,” the sources added.
This initiative aims to meet the needs of the Indian Armed Forces and facilitate subsequent exports to friendly third countries, marking a significant milestone in India’s defense export strategy.
Potential of the agreement
Currently, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has a sizeable fleet of around 260 Sukhoi-30MKI aircrafts, having received 40 units directly from Russia, while the remaining 222 fighters were manufactured locally by HAL. To maintain the strength of its squadrons and replenish attrition losses suffered since the model entered service, the budget was approved in September 2023 for the purchase of another 12 Su-30 MKIs.
In addition, HAL was able to achieve the capacity to perform major maintenance on 20 of these fighters per year and is preparing to start a deep modernization process for the IAF’s entire Su-30MKI fleet, with the expectation of bringing them on par with the F-15EX, Rafale F4, Gripen NG or the proposed Eurofighter LTE in terms of electronics.
The technology transfer and extended license manufacturing agreement in India could facilitate both maintenance and modernization work on Indian fighter jets, but an interesting market is also on the horizon for other Su-30 customers, such as Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, Venezuela, Uganda, Indonesia, Angola and Algeria.
Since the beginning of the war between Russia and Ukraine, the logistical support chain for Russian combat aircrafts customers has been greatly affected because the industry that gave rise to them has been overwhelmed by the needs of the war, and the Kremlin is also weighed down by a large battery of sanctions of all kinds. The agreement with India could be critical for the maintenance and modernization needs of the global Sukhoi Su-30 fleet, while improving India’s position as a defense supplier and allowing Russia to continue to maintain its traditional customers.
