Defence Ministry, HAL sign pact for 240 aero engines for Sukhoi fighters

India, HAL, ₹26K crore, fighter jet engines, Su-30MKI, AL-31FP engines, defence deal, IAF, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Koraput Division, indigenization, MSMEs, Indian Air Force, Sukhoi upgrade, defence preparedness, aero engines, spare parts, Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Anish Kumar

First Published Sep 9, 2024, 3:10 PM IST | Last Updated Sep 9, 2024, 3:10 PM IST

New Delhi: Within a week of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-chaired Cabinet Committee on Security’s (CCS) approval, the defence ministry on Monday signed a deal with the state-plane maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for procurement of 240 AL-31FP Aero Engines for the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) frontline fighter aircraft Su-30MKI aircraft at a cost of over Rs 26,000 crore.

The deal was signed in the presence of the defence secretary, Giridhar Aramane and IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari in the national capital. These aero-engines will be manufactured by the Koraput Division of HAL and are expected to fulfil the need of the Indian Air Force to sustain the operational capability of the Su-30 fleet for the defence preparedness of the country.

As per the contract, the HAL will supply 30 aero-engines per annum and all 240 engines will be completed over the next eight years. During the manufacturing, HAL plans to take support from the country’s defence manufacturing ecosystem, involving MSMEs and public & private industries.

“By the end of the delivery programme, HAL would enhance the indigenisation content up to 63% to achieve an average of over 54%. This would also help increase the indigenous content of Repair and Overhaul tasks of the aero-engines,” an official said.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Sukhoi fighter is one of the most powerful and strategically significant fleets of the Indian Air Force. At present, the IAF is operating with 259 Su-30 MKI fighters, of 272 contracted, which are manufactured by the HAL under license from Russia.

In the first batch, the upgrade process for the Sukhoi fleet would involve a total of 84 fighters over 15 years. Ever since Russia and Ukraine were involved in the conflict in February 2022, India has been facing issues with the supply of spare parts from Moscow. It must be noted that some of the planes are now over 20 years old and the engines of fighters are changed after certain flying hours.