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CCS Approves Rs 1500 Cr for 42 Additional Sukhoi Fighters

In one of the biggest defence orders of recent times, the Cabinet Committee on Security has quietly approved early this month nearly Rs 1500 crore order for an additional 42 Sukhoi-30 MKI fighers, said media reports.

With this, the total number of these modern Russian fighters for Indian Air Force (IAF) will go up to 272.

When all Sukhoi-30 MKIs, including recently ordered 42 fighters, are delivered to IAF by around 2008, it would be the single largest type of fighters in service, marking a huge technological transition from the dominance of MIG-21 fighters today.

According to a senior official, Cabinet Committee on Security approved the new order in first week of June, reports said.

As per present day projections, each of 42 fighters would cost in the range of Rs 350 crore by the time HAL begins manufacture sometimes in 2014.

The new order for Sukhoi-30 MKIs comes even as attention is fully on the tender floated by the Air Force for $10 billion worth 126 MMRCA (medium multi role combat aircraft).

But by the time the MMRCA enters the service, it would be the Sukhoi-30 MKI that would actually be the dominant fighter of the Air Force. And the combined contract value of SU-30 MKIs would be more than double that of the MMRCA.

The Su-30 MKI was originally contracted in 1996, when the Russian military-industrial complex was in a shambles after the Soviet Union collapsed. Its design and capabilities, however, continues to impress globally.

(Based on internet reports)

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