HAL to Produce 12 New Su-30MKI Fighter Jets

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is reactivating the licensed production line for Sukhoi Su-30MKI heavy air superiority fighters at its Nashik facility. Under a contract valued at approximately ₹11,000 crore (roughly $1.3 billion) received in December 2024, the company will manufacture 12 new aircraft by 2029 to replace jets lost in accidents. The first deliveries are expected in 2027-28, with a mandate that the aircraft contain more than 50 percent indigenous content.

Beyond new production, the Nashik facility will host a comprehensive modernization program known as the Super Sukhoi upgrade. Valued at approximately ₹60,000 crore, this two-phase initiative is being developed in partnership with the Defence Research and Development Organisation and private-sector vendors. The upgrades will retrofit the existing fleet with advanced active electronically scanned array radars, electronic warfare suites, and indigenous mission computers to address radar limitations and enhance long-range detection.

First inducted in 2002, the Su-30MKI serves as the backbone of the Indian Air Force, which currently operates about 260 of these jets. The platform integrates Indian, French, and Israeli sub-systems and is capable of deploying the BrahMos-A supersonic cruise missile.