India’s plans to become the latest country to jump on the 5th-Generation bandwagon by Jointly developing FGFA based on Sukhoi’s T-50 Stealth aircraft might be delayed since India and Russia are pushing for development of Super Sukhoi upgrade package for its current fleet of Sukhoi-30MKI front-line jet which might up at steep price likely to delay FGFA programme . According to media reports, agreement on Super Sukhoi upgrade package most likely will happen in next 6 months which is pegged at 8$billion to upgrade India’s entire fleet of nearly 270 Sukhoi-30MKI combat jets . According to latest report Super Sukhoi upgrade package will large concentrate on bringing major changes to it Avionics , Software, Pilot interface and Integration of new AESA Multi-mode Radar . Few Sukhoi-30s will have strengthed air frame to support BrahMos-A but all others will be BrahMos-NG and Nirbhay ALCM capable bringing a host of new standoff weapons to India’s Sukhoi-30s arsenal . European companies like MBDA have offered latest weapons like Brimstone which is an air-launched ground attack missile and Meteor which is an active radar guided beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) for integration with India’s Sukhoi-30MKI fleet, but it is likely India will go for improved weapons systems of Russian origins after Super Sukhoi upgrade. Russia will be tasked to develop a prototype and certify Super Sukhoi upgrade aircraft before passing on the TOT for local up gradation by HAL in India replicating Indo-Russian Mig-29UPG modernisation program . The steep price of Super Sukhoi upgrade will see further delays to next Indo-Russian FGFA project due to budgetary constraints .
SOURCE:IDRW |
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