News India IAF Day special: Jet fighters and bombers of Indian Air Force

IAF Day special: Jet fighters and bombers of Indian Air Force

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force was the first to induct jet fighters in Asia way back in 1948. Since then jet fighters has been at the forefront of our Air Force. These included legends

1. Sukhoi Su-30MKI



The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is an air superiority fighter jointly developed by Russia's Sukhoi and 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 indigenously assembled Su-30MKI entered service with the IAF in 2004.

The IAF has 157 Su-30MKIs in active service as of January 2012; it plans to have a fleet of 272. The Su-30MKI is expected to form the backbone of the Indian Air Force'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 subsystems. It has abilities similar to the Sukhoi Su-35 with which it shares many features and components.

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