Su-30MKI Jets
The Sukhoi Su-30MKI (NATO reporting name: Flanker-H).
It is a two-seater, twinjet multirole air superiority fighter.
It is developed by Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi and built under licence by India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
A variant of the Sukhoi Su-30, it is a heavy, all-weather, long-range fighter.
Development of the variant started after India signed a deal with Russia in 2000 to manufacture 140 Su-30 fighter jets.
The first Russian-made Su-30MKI variant was accepted into the Indian Air Force in 2002, while the first Su-30MKI assembled in India entered service with the IAF in November 2004.
The IAF has nearly 260 Su-30MKIs in inventory as of January 2020.
The Su-30MKI is expected to form the backbone of the IAF's fighter fleet to 2020 and beyond.
The aircraft is tailor-made for Indian specifications and integrates Indian systems and avionics as well as French and Israeli sub-systems.
It has abilities similar to the Sukhoi Su-35 with which it shares many features and components.
Why it is in news?
Defence Acquisition Council approved procurement of 12 Su-30MKI jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
These will be licence-manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) and cost under 11,000 crore.
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