Everything to know about Combat Fighter Aircraft 'Sukhoi Su-30MKI'

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Hello Buddies, I hope you are applying every inch of hard work and effort to earn the prestigious uniform of the Indian Armed Forces. In this appreciable blog, We are going to discuss special features of the Multirole Combat Fighter Aircraft i.e.  Sukhoi Su-30MKI

Interesting Features of an Aircraft:

ROLE

Multirole Fighter Aircraft

MANUFACTURER

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)

OPERATOR

Indian Air Force

MAIDEN FLIGHT

November 2000

SERVICE ENTRY

September 2002

MAXIMUM SPEED

Mach 1.9

RANGE

3,000 Kms

• The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a multirole combat fighter aircraft jointly developed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau (SDB) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). 
• The development of the Su-30MKI for the IAF began in 1995 and it is equipped with thrust vectoring control and canards.
• Sukhoi and Irkutsk Aircraft Production Association (now known as Irkut Corporation) were initially responsible for the development and production of the aircraft respectively for the Indian Airforce.
• The first pre-production aircraft completed its maiden flight in November 2000. India signed a MoU with Russia in October 2000 to start the license production of Su-30MKI at HAL’s Plant.

Orders and Deliveries of an Aircraft:

• In November 1996, India placed an order with Sukhoi for eight Su-30K fighters and 32 Su-30MKI aircrafts. The aircraft, fitted with enhanced avionics, engines and weapons, were delivered in batches.
• In December 2000, HAL signed a contract with Rosoboronexport for the license production of Su-30MKI aircraft. As a part of the contract, HAL will produce a total of 140 Su-30MKIs in four phases to complete the programme by 2015.
• The first ten Russian-made Su-30MKI aircrafts were delivered to the IAF in mid year of 2002. The aircraft were inducted into service in September 2002. The second batch of 12 aircraft was handed over in 2003.
• The first Su-30MKI assembled by HAL was rolled out in November 2004. The first batch of two aircraft was delivered to the IAF in March 2005. The IAF placed an order with HAL for 40 Su-30MKIs in 2007.
• In December 2012, HAL signed a contract with the Ministry of Defence and Rosoboronexport for the production and delivery of 42 Su-30MKI aircrafts, bringing the total number of orders to 222. The Indian Air Force operates more than 150 Su-30MKIs, as of January 2013.

Design and Avionics of an Aircraft:

• The Su-30MKI aircraft incorporates an aerodynamic airframe made of titanium and high intensity aluminium alloys. 
• The twin stabilisers and horizontal tail consoles are joined to tail beams. 
• The semi-monocoque fuselage head includes the cockpit, radar sections and the avionics bay. 
• The section between the engine nacelles houses the equipment bay, fuel storage and the brake parachute mechanism. 
• The aircraft has a length of 21.9 m, wingspan of 14.7 m and a height of 6.4 m.
• The maximum take-off weight of Su-30MKI is 38,800 kilograms.
• The tandem glass cockpit of the Su-30MKI accommodates two pilots.
• The forward cockpit is equipped with an integrated avionics suite incorporating Elbit Su 967 head-up display (HUD), seven active-matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCD) and primary cockpit instrumentation from thales. 
• The HAL-built aircraft are equipped with multifunction displays (MFD) supplied by Samtel Display Systems.
• The aircraft integrates a fly by wire (FBW) flight control system. 
• A large monochromatic display screen installed in the rear cockpit provides air-to-ground missile guidance. 
• The Su-30 MKI is also equipped with a N011M passive electronically scanned array radar, OLS-30 laser-optical locator system and litening target designation pod to guide air-to-surface missile and laser guided munitions.

Engine of an Aircraft:

• The Su-30MKI is powered by two Al-31FP turbojet engines. 
• Each engine generates a full afterburn thrust of 12,500 kgf. 
• The power plant, equipped with thrust vector control, provides a maximum speed of Mach 1.9 in horizontal flight and a rate of climb of 300 m/s.
• The aircraft has a maximum unrefuelled flight range of 3,000km. 
• The in-flight refuelling system of Su-30MKI provides a maximum range of 8,000 km with two refuellings.

Weapon Systems and Counter Measures of an Aircraft:

• The Su-30MKI is armed with a 30 mm Gsh-30-1 cannon with 150 rounds of ammunition. 
• The aircraft features 12 hardpoints capable of carrying external stores of up to 8.
• The aircraft can launch a range of air-to-surface missiles, including Kh-29L/T/TYe, Kh-31A/P, Kh-59M and Nirbhay.
• The Su-30MKI fleet of IAF will be fitted with air launched version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles that can strike targets within the range of 290 km.
• The aircraft can also carry Vympel-built R-27R, R-73 and R-77 air-to-air missiles, as well as rocket pods, KAB-500 and KAB-1500 laser-guided bombs.
• The Su-30MKI is fitted with a tarang radar warning receiver (RWR) indigenously developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). 
• The aircraft also integrates chaff / flare dispensers and active jammers.

I hope the article was helpful for all the defence aspirants, if you have any doubt at all or you want to suggest me anything then please leave a comment to help you in least possible time!!

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