Russia begins deliveries of modified Sukhoi jets to India

Russia has started the deliveries of the final modification of multirole Su-30 MKI fighters to India.

First two Sukhoi Su-30 MKI were shipped to India on board a Russian cargo plane yesterday by the Irkutsk-based IAPO aircraft corporation, Interfax reported.

Russia will dispatch 10 fighters this year, while another 22 are to be delivered next year.

Under the deal for 50 aircraft signed in November 1998, Russia has already delivered 18 Su-30k fighters which would be upgraded to MKI in 2004 with the simultaneous production of 140 fighters by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited under license.

The final version of Su-30, known as MKI (Multirole Commercial for India) is equivalent to Su-37 under development for the Russian Air Force, and has a clear edge over "MKK" the version being supplied to China, according to Dr Vaskin, an expert of Indo-Russian Security Forum uniting Defence experts and manufactures of the two countries.

"This is the reason why China is now asking for Su-37 from Russia," Dr Ruslan Pukhov of the Centre for Strategy Analysis - a Moscow-based Independent think tank added.

Moscow, June 23, 2002 (PTI)