Sukhoi-30 MKI

WHY IN NEWS?

BrahMos equipped Sukhoi-30 MKI to keep eye on China, Indian Ocean.

ABOUT SUKHOI-30 MKI

• The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a twinjet multirole air superiority fighter developed by Russia's Sukhoi and built under license 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 indigenously assembled Su-30MKI entered service with the IAF in 2004.
• The IAF had 240 Su-30MKIs in service as of October 2017.
• The Su-30MKI is expected to form the backbone of the Indian Air Force's fighter fleet to 2020 and beyond.

Brahmos integration

• The Indian government approved the integration of the BrahMos-A into the Su-30MKI in 2016 with integration kicking off at the end of 2017.
• The government decided to expedite the integration of the missile last year following the Balakot air strikes and the ensuing India-Pakistan military standoff.
• A total of 42 Su-30 MKIs are slated to be upgraded to carry the 2.5-ton supersonic cruise missile.

Prelims Question

Q. Sukhoi-30 MKI (SU-30 MKI) is a:
a. Navy frigate
b. Multipurpose helicopter
c. Armored tank
d. Fighter aircraft

Answer to the Prelims Question