Not Rafale, F-35, Tejas, THIS fighter jet will cost Rs 668290000000, its name is, what is Super-30 program? Is it game over for F-16?

In the last 20-25 years, there have been radical changes in the defense sector. Along with fighter jets and missiles, a lot of attention is also being paid to drones. This was seen in the war between Israel-Iran and India-Pakistan. In the modern age, the role of the Air Force and Navy have also become very important. After the Pahalgam attack, the army was also used limitedly in Operation Sindoor launched by India. Missile operations played a major role along with the Air Force. Drones have also emerged as an important factor.

Strengthening Air Force

At present, 41 to 42 squadrons of fighter jets are needed, but only 31 to 32 squadrons are available. In such a situation, the Indian Air Force is short of about 10 squadrons of fighter jets. And so there is talk of increasing the squadrons. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has accelerated the production of multirole Tejas fighter jet. Its delivery is expected to start from the end of this year.

India’s masterplan

A masterplan has been prepared to upgrade the Su-30MKI fighter jet, the backbone of the Indian Air Force fleet. It has been named Super-30. A project to upgrade Su-30MKI has been launched with the cooperation of Russia. Su-30MKI is a 4.5 generation fighter jet which India has imported it from Russia. Initially, there is a plan to upgrade 84 Su-30MKI fighter jets, which may take 3 to 4 years. It has been named Super-30 program. According to the report of ‘India Defense News’, this project is likely to cost 2.4 to 7.8 billion dollars (Rs 66829 crores). After the upgrade, Su-30MKI fighter jet will be fit for service by the year 2055. In this period, India’s indigenous fighter jet project will also reach its destination and the country will be able to make fifth generation fighter aircraft at home. Let us tell you that DRDO and HAL have taken steps towards making 5th generation fighter jet. For this, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project has been launched. It is expected that the fifth generation aircraft will be made in India in the next ten years.

Su-30MKI will be more lethal

There is a plan to upgrade the Su-30MKI fighter jet and make it more lethal and effective. Under the Super-30 program, there is a plan to integrate gallium nitride based active electronically scanned array radar (AESA) in the Su-30MKI fighter aircraft. It is also known as Virupaksha radar, which has been developed by DRDO. Through this, targets located 300-400 kilometers away can be detected. It will prove to be very effective during war. Apart from this, the cockpit of Su-30MKI will be made completely digital. Along with this, indigenous air-to-air missiles that destroy enemies from a distance of 300 kilometers will also be fitted in it. There is a plan to integrate missiles like Astra MK-2 and Astra MK-3 Gandiva in Su-30MKI.

Fighter jets like F-16 will be retired

After upgrading the Su-30MKI fighter jet, Pakistan’s condition will worsen and China will also not try to do anything adventurous. In fact, during the Balakot air strike in 2019, the Su-30MKI had to face difficulties in competing with the Pakistani F-16 fighter aircraft. The pilot of the Su-30MKI had to struggle especially due to radar limitations. In such a situation, upgrading the Su-30MKI is sure to eliminate fighter jets like the F-16. On the other hand, India is also investing extensively in making the next generation fighter jet.

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