The move reportedly comes amid New Delhi’s plan to formalize the purchase of Su-57 stealth fighters from Moscow
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking to upgrade a large number of its Sukhoi Su-30MKI aircraft with Russian assistance, the New Indian Express reported on Wednesday.
The move comes amid plans to procure a fifth-generation stealth fighter; Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 has reportedly emerged as the top contender.
The IAF’s proposed plan to upgrade its Su-30MKI fighters under the Super Sukhoi program is waiting for a nod from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), according to the report.
The Super Sukhoi upgrade proposal is limited to 84 planes. The IAF is seeking another means of upgrading the rest of its fleet of Su-30MKI jets – around 175 aircraft.
A top-level delegation from Russia recently visited a Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facility, which manufactures Sukhoi aircraft under license from Moscow.
New Delhi’s initiative to engage with Moscow is reportedly aimed at offsetting the longer duration normally associated with local upgrades – HAL-led initiatives normally take seven years after approval is received.
Reliance on domestic upgrades alone may push execution to the next decade, an unidentified source was quoted as saying in the report, explaining the reason for the move.
The Su-30MKI is the India-specific variant of the Russian Su-30, which was inducted into the IAF in 2002.
Talks between Moscow and New Delhi on manufacturing Sukhoi Su-57 aircraft in India have reached an advanced stage, Vadim Badekha, CEO of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), said on the sidelines of the Wings India aviation exhibition in January.
The talks revolve around the production of the Su-57 aircraft in India at facilities currently used to produce the Su-30 aircraft, and the maximum use of local industry and systems.
Moscow offered full licensed production of the Su-57 in India at the Dubai Airshow in November, 2025, along with the unrestricted transfer of technology – a level of access no Western defense partner has ever offered to New Delhi.
About 60% of the Indian military’s hardware is currently of Russian origin.
