HAL will start modernization of last batch of 40 Sukhoi Su 30MKI under “Super -30” Project from 2012. Russian and Indian Specialist are still working on technical performance, under this Project Indian government will be allocating close to US$2.4 billion for Deep Modernization for all the Sukhoi Su30 MKI fleet currently but these upgrades will be carried out only on newly built Su-30, which will be last batch of Su-30 to join IAF.
This first 40 aircrafts will also get, strengthening of air frame to enable them to carry near 2.5 tonne, Air launched version of Brahmos , Indian air force have already provided two Su-30MKI aircrafts in 2010 to carry out such modification to the airframe and Air launch variant is also ready only integration with airframe is left . Under “Super -30” Project, Su 30MKI will get Russian Phazotron Zhuk-AE Active Electronically Scanned Array AESA radars along with new onboard mission computers, electronic warfare systems and new Russian BVR Missiles rumored to be Novator K-100 missile also known has “AWCS Killer ” and also India’s own Astra BVR Missile.
Current batches of Su -30 which HAL has been manufacturing are from MKI-3 variants which are further improvement over earlier batches, and “Super -30” upgrades will be carried out in batch wise and older lot of MKI-1 will be covered first. After initial 40 plus aircrafts, older aircrafts will not be receiving any airframe modification to carry Air launched variant of Brahmos, so Brahmos air variant will limited to certain number airframes of MKI fleet only and not all, but all other aircraft fleet of Sukhoi 30 in Indian air force will be able to carry DRDO developed Sub-sonic Cruise Missile “Nirbhay” and other newly developed BVR missiles.
