On the anvil: 5th generation Super Sukhois

[Bl[i]tZ]

The upgradation of the existing fleet of the Sukhoi-30MKI jets of the Indian Air Force, will enhance them with fifth generation fighter technology, thereby making them Super Sukhoi fighters.

Alexey Fedorov, chief of the Sukhoi-making Russian company, Irkut, said at the recently concluded biennial airshow -- MAKS-2011 -- in Zhukovsky near Moscow [ Images ], that the Sukhoi upgradation has two components, for which technical negotiations are on. One includes the modernisation of the aircraft to fit the BrahMos missile's air version on it, and the other is to upgrade the existing five Sukhoi-30MKI squadrons of the IAF.
Approximately, 100 Su-30MKI aircraft are divided into five squadrons, and the IAF plans to have about 270 of these aircraft in the long run.

These upgraded Super Sukhois will have a better lifecycle engine, be fitted with a modern glass cockpit, and the aircraft will be able to carry more weapons with a larger range. Fedorov said the number of aircraft the IAF wants upgraded, will be done, beginning with the current fleet.


About the radar, the Super Sukhois are likely to be installed with the AESA (active electronically scanned array) radar, made by the Russian Tikhomirov's NIIP.

Test pilot Yury Vaschuk, who made the first public flight of the Sukhoi-35 fighter jet at the airshow, said, "The IAF's Su-30MKI upgrade will bring the aircraft close to the Su-35 aircraft, which already has fifth generation features." Vaschuk, who has clocked 70 hours on the Su-35, said both the Su-30 and Su-35 belonged to the Su-27 family, from which originated the fifth generation fighter, called the PAK-FA/T-50, which also debuted at the MAKS airshow this year. The Su-35 is a twin-engined, single cockpit, multi-role aircraft with a digital fly-by-wire controls.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Chairman Ashok Nayak said there was no progress on the Sukhoi upgrade, and it was yet to be finalised.

Refusing to divulge the exact amount on the upgrade, Fedorov said it was a large programme and would run into several billions of dollars, and that it was likely to be concluded in this financial year. Russia [ Images ] hopes to start the upgradation in 2012 and finish the first aircraft by 2014.

Also, those manufactured under licence by HAL will be upgraded. Discussions are on to finalise the upgradation of different types of aircraft, said Fedorov.

Source: On the anvil: 5th generation Super Sukhois

 

[The_magnificent]

so engine will be upgraded too. With a more powerful engine we can mount more powerful radar.

 

[Black Widow]

Its already discussed. and FYI, its not 5th gen Su30MKI . Its " Few fifth generation upgrade will be done for MKI"


No matter what you do, you can not turn apple into mango.. Su27 family is 4th generation plane, It can not become 5th gen fighter. No matter how much yoga you do..

 

[Vibs]

Its already discussed. and FYI, its not 5th gen Su30MKI . Its " Few fifth generation upgrade will be done for MKI"


No matter what you do, you can not turn apple into mango.. Su27 family is 4th generation plane, It can not become 5th gen fighter. No matter how much yoga you do..

Yeah..I came across a new terminology in one of the blogs of some armchair general. He referred to planes like Su 35 and Super Sukhoi as generation 5- indicating that they are more advanced than 4.5+ gen aircraft and close but not quite 5th gen aircraft.

 

[peep]

these terminologies are for fanboys. Only god knows what will happen when a 4.5++ gen plane meets with 5- gen plane. LOL !!

 

[pmukherjee]

^^^^ I totally agree. Better engines, better radars and Brahmos. This does not make them 5th gen. So why is the media calling them that? Till they are given the capability to supercruise, RCS reduced to VLO levels, internal weapon bays and AESA radars, they are just good 4th gen fighters. All this 4+, 4++, 5- classifications are just marketing nonsense and nothing more. Also, I am not too confident about Russian AESA radars, they are a generation behind western AESA radars and so won't be as efficient.

 

[cyphercide]

To be fair,the Americans retrofitted the F-18s with AESA radars and reduced it's RCS structure classify it under 5th Gen for lack of a better niche to put the bird under.Why can't we?

 

[Abingdonboy]

Absolutely agree there have been many misleading titles calling the Super MKIs "5th gen" but they are UPG 4.5++ with 5th gen features. There is no doubt this UPG will continue the IAF's MKI's do mince of the region though.

 

[LiberalAtheist]

if MKI RCS is reduced to below 2 square meters it will be unstoppable i hope Russians put RAM and other materials to reduce RCS adding on the MKI will serve as the IAF's long range strike fighter of the future

 

[tvsram1992]

if MKI RCS is reduced to below 2 square meters it will be unstoppable i hope Russians put RAM and other materials to reduce RCS adding on the MKI will serve as the IAF's long range strike fighter of the future

Quiet impossible but jammers can help.
Better to develop mki variant from Su35 in an year.

 

[sancho]

The upgradation of the existing fleet of the Sukhoi-30MKI jets of the Indian Air Force, will enhance them with fifth generation fighter technology, thereby making them Super Sukhoi fighters.

So nobody says that the MKI will be a 5th gen fighter, just that it gets 5th gen techs, like AESA radar, NG avionics and cockpit features and what are we complaining about? Our media even said the same about LCA MK2:

http://www.defence.pk/forums/india-...-will-incorporate-5-gen-fighter-elements.html


Btw, the article said also:

These upgraded Super Sukhois will have a better lifecycle engine

That means it gets more life and not necessarily more thrust!

 

[LiberalAtheist]

Quiet impossible but jammers can help.
Better to develop mki variant from Su35 in an year.

not impossible the airframe must be stripped down and replaced with a new stealthy one... its not impossible rather very expensive i am guessing the upgrade deal with the Russians will go up into the billions + the another several hundred million because of delays

 

[ptltejas]

I read in article on eurofighter typhoon by wikipedia. It is mentioned that stealth can be found by using IR cameras. hence new tech require to save the fighter from IR. Carbon nanogel can be useful perhaps.

 

[tvsram1992]

not impossible the airframe must be stripped down and replaced with a new stealthy one... its not impossible rather very expensive i am guessing the upgrade deal with the Russians will go up into the billions + the another several hundred million because of delays

Yes we cannot do anything with already built mkis. It will be too expensive as you said.

 

[Kinetic]

Reduce the RCS as well as put a powerful AESA on board. I think either Russia should get the latest radar for PAK FA or India must try for EL/M-2052. MKI will dominate the airspace till 2020.