The Sukhoi Su-30MKI Fighter Aircraft The Pride Of India

The Sukhoi Su-30MKI Fighter Aircraft The Pride Of India -

India -Know about the Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft –

On September 2, 2009 a Bell 430 crashed into a forest in Andhra Pradesh. It was carrying YSR Reddy, Andhra Pradesh's Chief Minister. Su-30MKI's were deployed from a nearby airbase to locate the crash site. After a few hours into the operation, Su-30MKI's were able to locate the crash site using their Infrared Sensors.

This news just made me curious about this Sukhoi and came to know about this world class fighter aircraft which will be fully made in India by Indians in future.


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Watch the Videos of Sukhoi Su-30MKI Fighter Aircraft.Hope you will enjoy them.

The Sukhoi Su-30MKI

Nato Reporting name is “Flanker-C"

Operational Since 1996

Su-30MK fighter is a twin engine military aircraft. This fighter is a development of the Su-27 (Flanker) family, designed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau of Moscow and is manufactured by the Irkut Corporation.

This fighter is Capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

The Su-30MKI was jointly designed by Russia's Sukhoi and India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

It is expected that by the year 2010 the first totally India-built Su-30MKI will roll out from HAL Nasik.

In the year 1996, first time India ordered these fighters, and signed a US$1.462 billion deal equivalent to Rs 5122 crore with the Sukhoi Corporation on 30 November 1996 for the delivery of 50 Su-30 aircraft.

In 2000, another agreement was signed allowing the license production of 140 Su-30MKIs in India. The deal combined license production with full technology transfer and hence was called a 'Deep License'.

The Indian Air Force has received 98 Su-30MKIs as of July 2009 and it plans to have an operational fleet of 230 MKIs by 2015

A standard Su-30K is estimated at US$34 million.

A Su-30MKK variant is estimated at US$53 million.

A Sukhoi 30 MKI aircraft crashed on 30 April 2009 in the Pokhran region of Rajasthan after it took off from Pune during its routine sortie, killing one of its two pilots. This has been the only crash of the MKI since its induction.

The Su-30MKI is a highly integrated twin-finned aircraft. The airframe is constructed of titanium and high-strength aluminium alloys.

Indian Su-30MKI fighters are to be fitted with the Brahmos cruise missile, jointly developed by India and Russia. Brahmos has a range of 290km and a warhead of up to 350kg.

The aircraft's integrated electronic warfare system includes a Tarang radar warning system, indigenously produced by the Indian Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO), and systems supplied by Israeli manufacturers.

It is a two-seat, dual-role strike fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep interdiction missions; closely comparable to F-15E Strike Eagle.

Su-30MK, where "MK" stood for "Modernizirovannyi Kommercheskiy" (Modernized Commercial)
The Su-30MK is able to perform some very advanced maneuvers. They include the well-known Pugachev’s Cobra and the Bell.

The aircraft enjoys all the benefits of two member crew.

Because of two members the work load is divided, between two members,
The first pilot flies the aircraft, controls weapons and performs manoeuvring dog fight, while 2nd pilot employs BVR air-to-air and air-to-ground guided weapons in long-range engagements, monitors tactical environment to ensure situational awareness, and performs command-and-control tasks in group missions.

In practice, the front seater is the pilot and the back seater is the "Wizzo", the WSO (Weapons Systems Operator). The pilot flies the aircraft and handles air-to-air and some ATG weapons, as well as countermeasures. 

The WSO takes care of the detailed aspects of navigation, ground radar mapping & target designation, setting up delivery solution for ATG weapons, designating for guided bombs/missiles, ECM, and so on.

 There are many tasks which overlap; either pilot or WSO can do the job depending on circumstances. The aircraft can be flown from either seat, however only the front cockpit driver can operate the helmet mounted sight (Sura) as sensors are only in the front. The rear cockpit has a HUD repeater.

Su 30 is capable of detecting and tracking up to 15 air targets while doing this it can attack four of them.

Su 30 also has autopilot ability at all fight stages including individual and group combat employment against air, ground and sea surface targets.

Automatic control system is interconnected with the navigation system which ensures
Route flight, target approach, recovery to airfield and landing approach in automatic mode.

The aircraft is fitted with a satellite navigation system (A-737 GPS compatible), which permits it to make flights in all weather, day and night. The navigation complex comprises high accuracy SAGEM integrated global positioning system and ring laser gyroscope inertial navigation system.

The Su-30MKI has a range of 5,000 km with internal fuel which ensures a 4.5 hour combat mission. Also, it has an in-flight refueling (IFR) probe that retracts beside the cockpit during normal operation. 

The air refueling system increases the flight duration up to 10 hours with a range of 8,000 km at a cruise height of 11 to 13 km. Su-30 MKIs can also use the Cobham 754 buddy refueling pods

General characteristics
 
Crew: 2

Length: 21.935 m (72.97 ft)

Wingspan: 14.7 m (48.2 ft)

Height: 6.36 m (20.85 ft)

Wing area: 62.0 m² (667 ft²)

Empty weight: 17,700 kg (39,300 lb)

Loaded weight: 24,900 kg (54,895 lb)

Max takeoff weight: 38,800 kg (85,600 lb)

Power plant: 2× Lyulka AL-31FP turbofans with thrust vectoring, 131 kN (29,449 lbf) each

Performance

Maximum speed: Mach 2.35 (2,500 km/h) at 11,000 m (36,000 ft)

Range: 5,000 km (2,700 nmi) at altitude; (1,270 km, 690 nmi near ground level) (With Internal Fuel Tank)

Service ceiling: 17,300 m (56,800 ft)

Rate of climb: >355 m/s (70,000 ft/min)

Wing loading: 401 kg/m² (98 lb/ft²)

Thrust/weight: 1.07 (at loaded weight & 1.15 with 50% fuel)

Armament:

built-in single-barrel GSh-301 gun (30 mm calibre, 150 rounds)

Air to Air Missiles:

6 × R-27R/AA-10A/Astra[39] semi-active radar homing medium range AAM of range 80 km.

6 × R-27T (AA-10B) infrared homing seeker, medium range AAM, 70 km

2 × R-27P (AA-10C) passive radar seeker, long range AAM

10 × R-77 (AA-12) active radar homing medium range AAM, 100 km

6 × R-73 (AA-11) short range AAM, 30 km

Air to Surface Missiles:

2 × Kh-59ME TV guided standoff Missile, 115 km

2 × Kh-59MK Laser guided standoff Missile, 130 km

4 × Kh-35 Anti-Ship Missile, 130 km

3 × PJ-10 Brahmos Supersonic Cruise Missile,300 km

6 × Kh-31P/A anti-radar missile, 70 km

6 × Kh-29T/L laser guided missile, 30 km

4 × S-8 rocket pods (80 unguided rockets)

4 × S-13 rocket pods (20 unguided rockets)

Bombs:

6 × KAB-500L laser guided bombs

3 × KAB-1500L laser guided bombs

8 × FAB-500T dumb bombs

28 × OFAB-250-270 dumb bombs

32 × OFAB-100-120 dumb bombs

8 × RBK-500 cluster bombs

IAF will eventually acquire a total of 230 Su-30MKI. Out of these 90 will be made in Russia by Irkutsk Aircraft Production Association (IAPO) while the rest will be produced in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). 

Production might be increased if necessary. HAL chairman Nalini Ranjan Mohanty has said that the Indian-built Su-30s will cost only about $22.5 million a unit against the current import price of about $37.5 million


Watch the Video - Sukhoi Su-30 MKI - waltz in the sky




Photo su 30 mki