India "has has enough" of overpriced SU-30MKI

Lenta ^ | August 16, 2019

[NorseViking]

The Indian company Hindustan Aeronautics will phase down license production of the Russian fighters of the fourth generation SU-30MKI in March, 2020 if it does not receive new orders for such planes.

The decision will lead to termination of work of about 400 local suppliers producing about six thousand parts of a total cost of 12.5 million dollars for each SU-30MKI.

The reason of the termination of production of planes is believed to be the high price of SU-30MKI assembled in India equal 70.3 million dollars whereas purchase of one such plane off the lot in Russia costs 42.15 million dollars.

The enterprise has sent to the Indian government official request for production of additional batch of over 72 units of SU-30MKI for the total amount about 5 billion dollars, however still has not received the answer. Other source has reported that the authorities can order release of only 18 such fighters which would replace the planes lost within the last 20 years during accidents.

In February SU-30MKI during the exercises of Vayu Shakti 2019 passing on the proving ground Pokhran in the State of Rajasthan (India) has shown dumping of bombs with laser targeting of Griffin Laser Guided Bomb (LGB).

Annually Hindustan Aeronautics assembles 12 units of SU-30MKI. By March, 2020 the company has to exhaust the 272nd such plane. About 51 percent completing SU-30MKI of assembly of Hindustan Aeronautics are delivered by the local companies whereas other 49 percent come from Russia.

[Yo-Yo]

This will come as sad news to Sukhoi-30MKI.

Speaking of Sukhoi-30MKI, I haven't heard of him since July. I hope he's OK.

[NorseViking]

Hope he is OK too.

[2banana]

Lots of time....cheap labor makes things more expensive.

[moovova]

$70.3 mill - $42.15 mill = $28.15 mill.

That’s a big dIfference in price. You gotta spread a lot of rupees to make a lot of rupees, I guess.

[CondorFlight]

Are these expensive planes worth it? Older planes with updated electronics seem to do just about as well.

[Rockingham]

As a rule, Russian combat aircraft are cheaper to acquire than US equivalents but wear out more quickly. Most countries that want to have an active and combat ready air force find US and West European models more serviceable and often cheaper in the long run.

[Fred Hayek]

I always thought that the weak point of the Russian aircraft was the engines.

[NorseViking]

I believe for India the point is to gain expertise.

[Rockingham]

Correct, and weak engines are especially obvious because they affect performance. Yet Soviet and now Russian military airframes are also mostly unable to withstand the stress of the decades of intense flight training and air patrols typical of Western combat aircraft and air forces. With relatively novice pilots who lack a high count of flight hours, the Russian system relies on vectoring combat aircraft by ground control.

The contemporary Russian air force is further hobbled by a declining technological and industrial base. The famous MiG design bureau is near bankruptcy, there is little innovation, and foreign sales and income are declining. It is hard to imagine a general revival of Russian military aviation unless the oil price booms and they get major injections of cash, year upon year.

For India, the choice between Russian or US and other Western military aircraft models leads to different kinds of air forces. If India wants a Western-style air force that trains and patrols actively and is ready to fight, they will have to shift to US or other Western models of combat aircraft. India's military circumstances of having China and Pakistan as adversaries urges them toward such a choice, but politics seems to be delaying it.