Major Shaitan Singh
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The Indian Air Force’s flagship fighter jet Su-30 MKI has been plagued with engine trouble, forcing a revision of the maintenance drill of the aircraft.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar shared with Parliament that the Sukhoi-30 MKIs saw 35 engine failures, or power plant-related incidents, in the last two years.
The IAF has procured 25 new engines with modified technology from Russia, which has suggested some modifications in production of new engines.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar informed Parliament that the Sukhoi-30MKIs saw 35 engine failures or power plant-related incidents, in the last two years
Members in the Rajya Sabha raised questions about health of the Sukhoi fleet.
Parrikar said that finding a solution to the problem was a continuous process as three broad reasons have been identified by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited which makes the aircraft in India and original manufacturer in Russia.
An analysis of 69 incidents of technical troubles in the aircraft showed that in 33 cases, the reason was due to the chips in the oil and vibration in engine bearings.
In 11 cases, low pressure of lubricating oil was the fault and other faults were identified in eight cases.
Extensive discussions were held with the Russians and a better quality of engine oil was procured.
Some adjustments and repairs in the ball bearings also resolved some of the issues, said the minister.
After the fact finding efforts, it was noticed that the serviceability of the aircraft went up by seven per cent from 49 per cent in the last eight to nine months. The IAF is striving to take it up to 70 per cent by the end of this year.
The IAF will eventually have a fleet of 272 Su-30MKIs. Around 200 of these aircraft are flying at the moment.
The IAF has often complained about the slow rate of production of the aircraft as the HAL took longer time to absorb the technology.
The IAF’s fighter squadron strength has come down substantially due to phasing out of the Mig-21s.
With new inductions not in sight in immediate future, the emphasis is on better utilisation of the existing fleet.
The IAF is hoping to induct 126 medium multi-role combat jets to fill the gap in its capability.
There is a serious concern about the serviceability of Sukhois as the first lot of the aircraft started arriving in the IAF in the late 1990s.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar shared with Parliament that the Sukhoi-30 MKIs saw 35 engine failures, or power plant-related incidents, in the last two years.
The IAF has procured 25 new engines with modified technology from Russia, which has suggested some modifications in production of new engines.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar informed Parliament that the Sukhoi-30MKIs saw 35 engine failures or power plant-related incidents, in the last two years
Members in the Rajya Sabha raised questions about health of the Sukhoi fleet.
Parrikar said that finding a solution to the problem was a continuous process as three broad reasons have been identified by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited which makes the aircraft in India and original manufacturer in Russia.
An analysis of 69 incidents of technical troubles in the aircraft showed that in 33 cases, the reason was due to the chips in the oil and vibration in engine bearings.
In 11 cases, low pressure of lubricating oil was the fault and other faults were identified in eight cases.
Extensive discussions were held with the Russians and a better quality of engine oil was procured.
Some adjustments and repairs in the ball bearings also resolved some of the issues, said the minister.
After the fact finding efforts, it was noticed that the serviceability of the aircraft went up by seven per cent from 49 per cent in the last eight to nine months. The IAF is striving to take it up to 70 per cent by the end of this year.
The IAF will eventually have a fleet of 272 Su-30MKIs. Around 200 of these aircraft are flying at the moment.
The IAF has often complained about the slow rate of production of the aircraft as the HAL took longer time to absorb the technology.
The IAF’s fighter squadron strength has come down substantially due to phasing out of the Mig-21s.
With new inductions not in sight in immediate future, the emphasis is on better utilisation of the existing fleet.
The IAF is hoping to induct 126 medium multi-role combat jets to fill the gap in its capability.
There is a serious concern about the serviceability of Sukhois as the first lot of the aircraft started arriving in the IAF in the late 1990s.
But in OP Parikar says 
