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G’day lads. I want to suggest a very powerful Indo-Russo aircraft for the future in WT, which would be the Indian Airforce Su-30MKI :)
Description:
Spoiler
The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a two-seater, twinjet multirole air superiority fighter developed by Russia’s Sukhoi Corporation and built under license by India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). It’s a highly capable aircraft designed for various combat roles, including air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. The Su-30MKI is equipped with advanced weapons, including Indian, Russian, French, and Israeli systems. It features thrust vectoring control and canards, which give it exceptional maneuverability. The aircraft can reach a maximum speed of Mach 1.9 and has a range of 3,000 kilometers. It’s armed with a 30mm GSh-30-1 gun and can carry a variety of missiles, including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, as well as a lot, and I mean A LOT of other weapons too.
History:
Spoiler
In the mid-1990s, India and Russia began collaborating to develop a version of the Sukhoi Su-30 tailored to the needs of the Indian Air Force (IAF). This collaboration was formalized on November 30, 1996, with an agreement for India to purchase 50 Su-30MKI aircraft from Russia. This initial batch included eight Su-30K jets delivered in June 1997.
The Su-30MKI project officially kicked off in 1995, with the aircraft designed by Russia’s Sukhoi Corporation and manufactured under license by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in India. The first Russian-built Su-30MKI was brought into the IAF in September 2002, followed by the first ever Indian-built Su-30MKI in November 2004.
In October 2000, India and Russia signed a memorandum of understanding (shortened MoU), paving the way for the local production of 140 Su-30MKIs in India. By January 2020, the IAF had amassed around 260 Su-30MKIs.
Over the years, it’s gotten a lot of upgrades, mainly from other countries like France or Israel, with it having the capability to fire weapons of theirs, like for example the MICA or Derby missile series. Elbit also helped them, the Indians, to get newer systems for their MKI, like for example self protection systems.
Armaments:
Spoiler
1 GSh-30-1 30mm cannon
As for missiles and whatnot, the MKI can carry the following, oh boy, here we go:
Astra (Mk.1) AAM
R-77 AAM
R-73 AAM
R-27 (E/ET/R/ER) AAM
K-100 missiles (planned, cancelled) AAM
I-Derby ER AAM
MICA IR/EM AAM
Kh-29 (L/T) AGM
Kh-59 (ME/MK) AGM/ASM
RAMPAGE AGM
Crystal Maze II PGM
Kh-35 ASM
Kh-31A ASM
BrahMos ASM
Rudram-1 ARM
Kh-31P ARM
KAB-500L LGB
KAB-1500L LGB
Sudarshan LGB
SPICE 2000 guided bomb kit
OFAB-250 to 270 bombs
OFAB-100 to 120 bombs
DRDO gliding bombs
S-8 rockets
S-13 rockets
Litening (III/IV) targeting pod
EL/M-8222 jamming system
KNIRTI SAP-518 electronic warfare pod
N011M Bars PESA radar
DRDO Tarang MK.II RWR
OLS-30 IRST
Specifications:
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The MKI has a length of 21.9m, a height of 6.36m and a wingspan of 14.7m. The Su-30MKI is quite a…fat aircraft, as it’s empty weight alone is 18400kg, with it’s combat weight being around 26090kg and it’s max takeoff weight being 38800kg, so you can carry lot’s of weapons, but you heavily sacrifice mobility. Due to it’s absolutely enormous weight, it is powered by a AL-31FP engine, giving out 123kN of thrust with it’s afterburned enabled.
Sources:
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https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sukhoi_Su-30MKI&oldid=1261744743
India Resumes Russian Su-30MKI Production with 12-Unit Order and Proposal for 72 More Fighters
https://defense-update.com/20130206_the-indian-air-force-plans-to-induct-brahmos-by-2015.html
Crystal Maze 2: IAF tests new 250-km strike range air-launched ballistic missile - India Today
Su-30 Flanker-C – Russian 4 generation fighter jet [review]
https://www.cavok.com.br/india-testa-missil-frances-mica-do-jato-su-30mki
Sukhoi Su-30MKI test-fires Astra BVR air-to-air missile
https://www.reddit.com/r/MilitaryPorn/comments/cw1cov/indian_su30mki_with_4_r27_4_r77_and_4_r73s/
Is IAF Equipping Jets With Israeli Rampage Missile For LAC? | Indian Defence News
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/68737808053/
20 Stunning and Incredible pictures of Sukhoi 30 MKI Fighter Jet | DDE
lets-delve-into-the-details-of-the-indian-made-su-30mki
https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/india-su30mki-20-years-how-capable
Sukhoi Su-30 K/MK/MKI – Indian Air Force
https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/su-30mki-multirole-fighter-aircraft-india/
IAF’s Su-30MKI: Transforming into Missile Truck – Indian Defence Research Wing
Thanks a lot for reading! If you have any extra information, then feel free to share them in the replies! As always, have a good day :)
