BrahMos Integrated Su-30MKI Handed Over To IAF For Trials

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has received the first Sukhoi-30MKI fitted with indigenous BrahMos thermonuclear cruise missile ready for trials from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) today during Aero India Airshow.

HAL CEO Suvarna Raju and BrahMos CEO and MD Sudhir Kumar Mishra were present during the handing over of the documents to IAF. Earlier this month, HAL had announced successful integration of BrahMos missile’s air-based version with a SU-MKI fighter jet earlier this month. The first flight is scheduled in March.

Major structural modifications of the missile that include re-distribution of loads on the lifting elements of the aircraft after the bench running have been carried out over the past seven months.

The first trial tests are scheduled in March. Second trail fighter jet testing will commence after the March test and all the tests might be completed in about a year. The same pattern will be applied to the existing Indian Air Force's 42 Su-30MKI jets.

The Indian government’s security committee endorsed allocation of $ 1.1 billion in October 2012 for purchasing 200 BrahMos missiles to be installed on Su-30MKI fighters of the Indian Air Force.

The weight of the air-based version of the missile was reduced by 500 kilograms and the length by about 50 centimetres to make the integration successful.