- Su-30 MKI fleet to integrate Russian RVV BD missiles.
- RVV missile provides 300 km range, hypersonic Mach 6 speed.
- IAF modernizing with Astra, Meteor missiles, fleet upgrades.
India is aiming to modernise its Air Force fleet amid declining numbers of aircraft and delays in indigenous production, to boost air combat capabilities. The Defence Ministry, in line with that, is considering a proposal to modify the Su-30 MKI aircraft by integrating them with the Russian-origin RVV BD air-to-air missile that can take out enemy targets at 300 kilometres at high speed in the air.
The ministry is taking up the proposal just a few days before the arrival of Russian President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi for the BRICS meeting.
Many defence deals are expected to be discussed between PM Narendra Modi and Putin. Various versions of the missile have been developed to engage aerial targets at long ranges.
These include the capability to engage critical targets such as Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft and other surveillance and intelligence aircraft at a hypersonic speed of around 6 Mach. Notably, Mach 6 is six times the speed of sound.
Rajnath Singh-led Defence Ministry has been working extensively to upgrade the air-to-air weaponry of the IAF by balancing domestic and foreign procurements.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is working rapidly to develop existing and future versions of the Astra missile, which is expected to have a range of over 300 kilometres.
Apart from this, India is also purchasing a large number of Meteor air-to-air missiles from France.
At present, the IAF has a fleet of 260 Su-30 MKI. India is also working on two separate projects for modernising the fleet, after which they would be at an advanced level and would be able to intercept and strike at longer distances than before.
(With ANI Inputs)