The Vice-President of Russia's Irkut Corporation has said the Indian Air Force's (IAF) frontline multi-role Su-30 MKI Flanker-H fighters (also called Sukhoi) could be armed with the supersonic BrahMos-A cruise missiles by 2012.
Vladimir Sautov said Thursday at the Singapore Airshow 2010 that work to integrate the missiles for deployment on the Sukhoi was currently on at the Rosoboronexport, the Sukhoi Design Bureau and NPO Mashinostroyeniya (Russian partner in BrahMos JV).
Stating that Russia may offer the upgraded version of the Sukhoi fighters in two years time, he said the modernization program included re-equipping of some of the fighters, which are currently in service with the IAF. Trials are scheduled for next year and targets fitment in 2012.
Sautov also said as the land and sea version of the missile was "large, heavy and powerful," a lighter version was currently under development, which would enable Su-30MKI fighters to carry upto three missiles.
With this, India would acquire the capability to fire these missiles from land, sea as well as air. The sea-based and land-based versions of the missile have already been successfully tested and put into service with the Indian Army and Navy.
With an ability to effectively engage ground targets from an altitude as low as 10 meters, the 290 kilometer-range missile is capable of carrying a conventional warhead of up to 300 kilogram and attain a top speed of Mach 2.8, which is about three times faster than the U.S.-made subsonic Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The IAF initially ordered 50 Su-30MKI aircraft from Russia in 1996 and an additional 40 in 2007. State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was also contracted to build 140 of the frontline fighter jets between 2003 and 2017 under a licensed production agreement.
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