HAL To Complete 222 Su-30MKI Manufacturing Order By 2019-20

India’s Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) will require four more years to manufacture the remaining 48 Su-30MKI aircraft out of a total order of 222 fighters placed with it by the Indian Air Force.

“HAL has produced 174 Su-30 MKI aircraft out of order for 222 aircraft till Mar 2016. The complete technology has been absorbed by HAL and current orders are likely to be liquidated by 2019-20,” T Suvarna Raju, CMD, HAL said in an interview to a web portal, Bharatshakti Wednesday.

HAL last month had stated that it has produced 12 Su-30 MKI aircraft from raw material phase during the fiscal year 2015-16. With the current rate of production, it is possible to finish the production of the remaining 48 aircraft of 222 ordered by 2020.

Irkut Corporation, during the Aero India Airshow in February last year had said in a statement that it would complete deliveries of Su-30MKI aircraft kits to HAL by the end of 2015.

SU-30 MKI aircraft is being manufactured by HAL under licence from Russia. The licence manufacturing is being carried in four phases, the last stage of which includes manufacture from the raw material stage.

“HAL has manufactured approximately 39000 components in airframe and 1015 aggregates. Further HAL has manufactured around 5600 components for Engines by absorbing 133 new technologies. Even the Casting & Forgings required for engine has been mastered by HAL within India. Today all components defined in the scope of transfer of technology are made in India by HAL with 100% technology absorption for Airframe and engines,” he said.

HAL has manufactured parts of Su-30MKIs from the raw material stage with complete transfer of technology from IRKUT Corporation under Phase IV of the assembly. Nashik facility of the firm is partially indigenizing its AL-31FP engines, which are built in Koraput, Odisha, India.

India and Russia signed a deal on the licensed production of 140 Su-30 MKI aircraft, 920 engines and 140 sets of airborne equipment in 2000. These aircraft were to be delivered by HAL in four phases by 2017-18 with each phase progressively increasing the level of indigenization.

However, in March 2006, the Ministry of Defence advanced the delivery of these aircraft to 2014-15 to counter a sharp fall in combat aircraft available, due to crashes and obsolescence.

The Indian MoD placed an additional order for 82 aircraft with HAL, taking the total number of indigenously produced aircraft to 222, to be delivered between 2002-03 and 2016-17.