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Indian Air Force Sends Proposal For 33 New Russian Fighter Jets

India to buy 33 Russian fighter aircraft for $2.43 billion

ASHOK SHARMA

today

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s defense ministry on Thursday approved the purchase of 21 Russian MiG-29 and 12 Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter aircraft costing $2.43 billion to augment its air force as the country faces security challenges on its borders with China and Pakistan.

The planes will supplement 59 MiG-29’s and 272 Sukhoi aircraft currently in service.

The defense ministry also said it has approved local development of missile systems for all three branches of the military, and ammunition and upgraded infantry combat vehicles for the army.

India is awaiting the arrival of the first batch of 36 Rafale fighter jets ordered as part of a $8.78 billion deal signed with France in 2016 in “ready to fly” condition, meaning they will be made in France. India is expecting four to six Rafale aircraft to arrive in India at the end of this month.

India has become the world’s biggest arms importer as it modernizes its military. Major arms manufacturers are wooing the country as it replaces obsolete Soviet-era weapons.

Rahul Bedi, a defense analyst, said the acquisition of the Russian aircraft will boost the air force’s depleted fighter squadron numbers, which have dropped from an approved total of 42 to 28. One squadron comprises 18 aircraft.

He said the 21 MiG-29s will be second-hand planes that will be updated in Russia, while the 12 Su-30MKIs will be built under licence by India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

Tensions with China over disputed territory led to hand-to-hand combat between soldiers on June 15 that left 20 Indians dead. Indian officials say the standoff began in early May when large contingents of Chinese soldiers entered deep inside Indian-controlled territory at three places in Ladakh.

Indian and Chinese military officials and diplomats have held several rounds of talks aimed at reaching a solution.

India’s ties with hostile neighbor Pakistan hit a low after India changed the status of the portion of disputed Kashmir it controls in August last year. India and Pakistan have fought two wars over control of the Himalayan region since Britain gave them independence from colonial rule in 1947.

India has been fighting an insurgency in Kashmir since 1989. It accuses Pakistan of arming and training the rebels, a charge Islamabad denies.

https://apnews.com/5ac7300337fa68fee320db1595265ad1

Some corrections:
Mki will not add to existing 272, it will make up for 11 crashes and 1 god knows what happened to that valiant jet. So after this purchase and if there is no crash of mki till next year will iaf reach the 272 mki mark.

73 mil a pop for second hand 4th gen jet is just too much. India sure is a holstein!
 
Last edited:
Some corrections:
Mki will not add to existing 272, it will make up for 11 crashes and 1 god knows what happened to that valiant jet. So after this purchase and if there is no crash of mki till next crash will iaf reach the 272 mki mark.

73 mil a pop for second hand 4th gen jet is just too much. India sure is a holstein!
Only 10 Su-30 MKIs have crashed (11th one in apr 2012 was a minor accident and plane was repaired).

But we have ordered 12 Su-30 MKIs as that is HALs current production rate (you can check HAL annual reports if you want)
 
Only 10 Su-30 MKIs have crashed
A very good progress, compared to the hundreds of MIGS lost due to accidents in the past. I think IAF is looking into F35s as well, good luck to them STILL LIKES TO SPEND ON THE FANCY MACHINE RATHER THAN THE MAN BEHIND IT(Failed Strategy).
 
India to buy 33 Russian fighter aircraft for $2.43 billion

ASHOK SHARMA

today

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s defense ministry on Thursday approved the purchase of 21 Russian MiG-29 and 12 Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter aircraft costing $2.43 billion to augment its air force as the country faces security challenges on its borders with China and Pakistan.

The planes will supplement 59 MiG-29’s and 272 Sukhoi aircraft currently in service.

The defense ministry also said it has approved local development of missile systems for all three branches of the military, and ammunition and upgraded infantry combat vehicles for the army.

India is awaiting the arrival of the first batch of 36 Rafale fighter jets ordered as part of a $8.78 billion deal signed with France in 2016 in “ready to fly” condition, meaning they will be made in France. India is expecting four to six Rafale aircraft to arrive in India at the end of this month.

India has become the world’s biggest arms importer as it modernizes its military. Major arms manufacturers are wooing the country as it replaces obsolete Soviet-era weapons.

Rahul Bedi, a defense analyst, said the acquisition of the Russian aircraft will boost the air force’s depleted fighter squadron numbers, which have dropped from an approved total of 42 to 28. One squadron comprises 18 aircraft.

He said the 21 MiG-29s will be second-hand planes that will be updated in Russia, while the 12 Su-30MKIs will be built under licence by India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

Tensions with China over disputed territory led to hand-to-hand combat between soldiers on June 15 that left 20 Indians dead. Indian officials say the standoff began in early May when large contingents of Chinese soldiers entered deep inside Indian-controlled territory at three places in Ladakh.

Indian and Chinese military officials and diplomats have held several rounds of talks aimed at reaching a solution.

India’s ties with hostile neighbor Pakistan hit a low after India changed the status of the portion of disputed Kashmir it controls in August last year. India and Pakistan have fought two wars over control of the Himalayan region since Britain gave them independence from colonial rule in 1947.

India has been fighting an insurgency in Kashmir since 1989. It accuses Pakistan of arming and training the rebels, a charge Islamabad denies.

https://apnews.com/5ac7300337fa68fee320db1595265ad1


why not more Rafael’s ? things are not making sense..
 
why not more Rafael’s ? things are not making sense..

Mig-29s are way cheaper and gives some numbers. MKIs are for replacing losses + I think the MKIs ordered are brahmos compatible + giving jobs to the babus at HAL for the next few years [note: they have infinite job security. It is responsibility of govt of india to keep them employed].

More Rafales will be coming as well.
 
China has successfully achieved it first objective. Forced India to buy Russian jets again. Panic buy kept India away from western tech.

The purchase of both these planes have been in the news since last year. On this very forum, purchase of Mig-29 airframes already built have been discussed.

The MKI was purchased to keep the production line going and replace lost planes while MIG-29 will be updated and add to squadron numbers. As for China's success, I highly doubt it since India knows both these planes better than any other Western aircraft. It was a common sense move. Don't know why it is difficult to understand it.

btw Su 30s are also assembled in India, why made in Russia at full ? assembling in India would has reduced the cost a bit and also would had resulted in some jobs....
The su 30 will be built in India
"He said the 21 MiG-29s will be second-hand planes that will be updated in Russia, while the 12 Su-30MKIs will be built under licence by India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd."
https://www.dawn.com/news/1566582/india-clears-purchase-of-33-russian-combat-jets-worth-24-billion

why not more Rafael’s ? things are not making sense..
We do not have the required experience or tactics fully developed for the Rafael yet. It is very obvious. The mig 29s are frames already built and in storage. The availability will be much faster.

should have bought billions of toilets.
It's our money and we know how to use it. Hope your economy improves enough so you can tackle polio after covid. Polio spreads through poor poop hygiene.
 
The purchase of both these planes have been in the news since last year. On this very forum, purchase of Mig-29 airframes already built have been discussed.

The MKI was purchased to keep the production line going and replace lost planes while MIG-29 will be updated and add to squadron numbers. As for China's success, I highly doubt it since India knows both these planes better than any other Western aircraft. It was a common sense move. Don't know why it is difficult to understand it.
I agree with you totally but the IAF Chief said if we had RAFALE.
 
Rafales are coming. 36 is not the final order. There will be many more.
+ I wish India buys F-15 or F-35.
They come with money and this covid19 this is it 6 Rafale & 33 from Russia to face China. Apart from that it will take years to get equal to China & in those years China will grow more.
 
China has successfully achieved it first objective. Forced India to buy Russian jets again. Panic buy kept India away from western tech.
More Rafaels are too expensive ... on a cost-benefit basis, the Su-30MKI is a much better deal. Unfortunately, this also means buying planes which the Chinese are already extremely familiar with and probably know how to counter well.

Rafales are coming. 36 is not the final order. There will be many more.
+ I wish India buys F-15 or F-35.
After the S-400 purchase, I really don't see the F-35 being possible anymore.
 

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