Overview
The Su-30MKI is a two-seat heavy fighter developed by Sukhoi specially for India and built under licence by HAL at Nashik. It adds canard foreplanes and thrust-vectoring engine nozzles to the Su-27 design, making it extremely agile.
It combines Russian, Indian, Israeli and French systems and is the only fighter to carry the air-launched BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. With about 260 in service, it is the backbone of the Indian Air Force.
Specifications
Dimensions
| Length | 21.94 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 14.70 m |
| Height | 6.36 m |
| Wing area | 62.0 m² |
Weights & fuel
| Empty weight | 18,400 kg |
|---|---|
| Max. take-off weight | 38,800 kg |
Performance
| Max. speed | 2,120 km/h |
|---|---|
| Max. Mach | Mach 2.00 |
| Range | 3,000 km |
| Service ceiling | 17,300 m |
| Rate of climb | 300.0 m/s |
Crew & capacity
| Crew | 2 |
|---|---|
| Hardpoints | 12 |
Powerplant
| Engines | 2 |
|---|---|
| Engine model | Saturn AL-31FP (thrust vectoring) |
| Thrust (each) | 74.5 kN |
| Thrust with afterburner (each) | 123.0 kN |
Figures are compiled from public sources and may be approximate; they can vary by variant and configuration.
Armament
- 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon
- Up to 8,000 kg on 12 hardpoints, including R-77 and Astra missiles and the BrahMos-A cruise missile
Photos
Photo 1: 1st Lt. George Tobias / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
Some text and images come from Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA licences.
