The Su-30MKI multifunctional fighters form up the India’s Air Force backbone to remain in this position for the foreseeable future. The total number of Su-30MKI in service with IAF is to reach an impressive figure of over 270 aircraft. Most of them, in fact 222, could proudly bare the “Made in India” stamp as they are assembled by the HAL Corporation.

According to the UAC President Yuri Slyusar, to whom our correspondent spoke at the MAKS-2015 exhibition in Zhukovsky “the priority task for the UAC-HAL joint team is to keep the serviceability of the growing Su-30MKI fleet at the level sufficient to solve all tasks and needs of the IAF”. To manage such an ambitious goal a joint tri-party workgroup has been set up from IAF, HAL and Russian aviation industry representatives. The parties are actively working on developing an advanced and modern aftersales support system for all Russian aircraft in India.

The Su-30MKI upgrade to implement the aircraft’s deep modernization to keep its combat efficiency and superiority in the next decades is imminent. Due to the aircraft’s “open architecture”, Su-30MKI has an enormous development potential in the field of onboard equipment and weaponry. The impressive modernization package can be developed in a relatively short timeframe. Russia has outlined the possible variants, now the IAF should determine the scope of work.

The IAF is going to increase dramatically its strike potential with BRAHMOS-A supersonic cruise missile aviation version implementation aboard the Su-30MKIs. The Russian-Indian Joint venture officially handled BRAHMOS-A to IAF during AeroIndia-2015 this February. The firing exercises are scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, with first aircraft to enter IAF service in 2016.

The IAF second iron fist is formed up by the MiG-29 frontline fighters. The existing program has set up an ambitious goal to upgrade all of 69 existing IAF MiG-29s in to MiG-29UPG configuration.

The Indian Navy is another UAC prime customer. In accordance with the existing contract the RAC MiG has to supply the Indian Navy with 45 MiG-29K/KUB shipborne fighters. So far, the Navy has received 33 aircraft with the rest to follow by two equal batches in 2015 and 2016.

According to Yuri Slyusar, the Indian pilots training has been completed successfully and UAC is going to create an MRO center in India for the MiG-29K/KUB after-sales support through the whole life-time. He also added that MIGs could be also upgraded to meet future requirements.

Both IAF and UAC are ready to open a new stage of cooperation with FGFA and MTA programs. As the UAC President mentioned, “the works on FGFA preliminary design have been completed and the scope of work for each country has been agreed. Currently we are discussing pricing and marketing questions. We hope to agree on a full scale R&D contracts this year”. As for the MTA, the aircraft preliminary design has been completed. The works are going on within the framework of the Russian-Indian JV MTAL registered in Bangalore. Yuri Slyusar said that “our goal today is to optimize the decision-making process and to start the R&D. Currently we have formed a joint Coordinating Committee that should expedite all processes and increase the speed of work. This year we hope to sign the R&D contract”.

It should be noted that both programs, the FGFA and the MTA are unprecedented by the level of industrial integration not only for Russia and India, but for the whole world. Both programs are real proof of the two nations strategic partnership which is to receive a new breath in XXI century.