„We have not considered new Sukhoi aircraft. India is actively modernizing the existing Sukhois, which we manufacture under a Russian license,“ said R. Singh. Meanwhile, this spring he stated that the final decision on Russia’s offer has not yet been made.
The Russians expected to sell about 40 fighters
Earlier, Vladimir Putin said that Moscow is ready to supply Su-57 aircraft to New Delhi. According to Defence Security Asia, Russia expected to sell India between 36 and 40 new generation fighters, with the possibility of later assembling them at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in Nashik, where Su-30MKI are already produced.
The offer also included technology transfer. Instead, as the publication notes, New Delhi plans to allocate funds for additional French Rafale purchases and the development of its own fifth-generation fighter AMCA.
The Indian government made this decision due to an obvious shortage of combat aircraft in the country’s air forces. Defence Security Asia estimates that India currently has about 29–31 combat squadrons, although the established number is 42.
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The deficit grew after the MiG-21s were retired and the fleet of outdated equipment was reduced, reports The Moscow Times.
The decision to modernize the Su-30MKI was made by the Indian Ministry of Defense after analyzing the use of these aircraft during Operation Sindur against Pakistan in May 2025, the publication notes. The aircraft were used, among other things, as carriers of the supersonic BrahMos missiles.
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