UAC to Observe Silver Jubilee of Made-for-India Su-30MKI

Russia's United Aircraft Corp (UAC) will mark the first flight of the made-for-India Su-30 MKI on July 1.

On July 1, 1997, the first flight of a prototype of the Su-30MKI fighter took place under the guidance of test pilot V.Yu. Averyanov.

The Su-30MKI program, which includes the phases of development, delivery and organization of licensed production of aircraft, has become one of the most successful programs of the Russian military-technical cooperation. In the course of numerous international exercises, pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) flying Su-30MKI fighters repeatedly achieved victory in training battles with modern combat aircraft of other types, UAC claims.

Negotiations on the supply of Su-27 fighters have been conducted with the Indian side since 1994. The design bureau of the aircraft for the IAF based on the Su-30 began in 1995. On November 30, 1996, an interstate contract was signed for the phased development and delivery of 8 Su-30K two-seat fighters and 32 Su-30MKI multi-role two-seat fighters to India. The delivery of the aircraft was envisaged in several batches, with a consistent increase in the capabilities of the avionics, power plant and weapons.

The construction of two experimental aircraft was carried out in the Design Bureau in 1995-1998. The first prototype Su-30I-1 was developed on the basis of the serial Su-30, construction was completed in the spring of 1997. First flight test pilot V.Yu. Averyanov committed on it on July 1, 1997. Since July 1997, the Design Bureau began a program of joint aircraft testing with the Air Force GLITS.

Serial production of the aircraft has been deployed in Irkutsk since 2000. The first pre-production aircraft was flown at the factory of V.Yu. Averyanov November 26, 2000. The first three pre-production Su-30MKIs were handed over to the Design Bureau and, along with experimental aircraft, are participating in a joint test program with the GLITS Air Force.

In accordance with the terms of the contract, testing and deliveries of Su-30MKI aircraft are carried out in 3 stages. The first batch of 10 Su-30MKIs was delivered to India in 2002, the second batch of 12 aircraft - in 2003. By 2004, two squadrons of the IAF were armed with Su-30K and Su-30MKI aircraft.