Indian air force to acquire 50 more Sukhois aircraft

[Naveed Yaseen]

NEW DELHI (October 03 2009): India will acquire fifty more Sukhois-30MKI multi-role aircraft to counter Pakistan and China. In an interview with 'Times of India', Indian Air force Chief Air Chief Marshal P V Naik said his force was indeed interested in acquiring more Sukhois, which would be the mainstay of India's fighter fleet for the foreseeable future.

These 50 new Sukhois would be in addition to the 230 of these twin-seater fighters already contracted from Russia in three deals worth upwards of $8.5 billion, the daily said. IAF has already inducted 105 of the 230 Sukhois. It has also started their deployment in North-East close to China border. India has already deployed these aircraft on Pakistani side. Two more squadrons will be stationed by 2011.

The government has directed Hindustan Aeronautics to produce 140 of the 230 Sukhois under transfer of technology by 2015 at all costs. India's "dissuasive deterrence" military posture is based on deployment of Sukhois as well as the 3,500 km nuclear-capable Agni-III missile, which would be ready for operational deployment by 2011, and the 5,000 km range Agni-V missile was in the pipeline, the daily added.

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