Update: Indian MoD approves acquisition of 33 Russian fighter aircraft

India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has approved the INR181.48 billion (USD2.43 billion) procurement of 21 Mikoyan MiG-29 and 12 Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) amid heightened tensions between India and China over a border dispute along the Line of Actual Control (LoAC) in the Himalayas.

In a 2 July statement the MoD said the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), which is headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, cleared the acquisition of 21 upgraded, second-hand MiG-29s from Russia for INR74.18 billion and of 12 licence-built Su-30MKIs for INR107.3 billion.

The 21 platforms will supplement 59 MiG-29s inducted into the IAF from 1986 that are being upgraded to MiG-29M standard.

The 12 additional Su-30MKIs will be acquired to replace an equal number of aircraft lost in accidents over the years. These fighters will be licence-built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Officials said that HAL, which by March 2021 will have completed the last of 222 licence-built Su-30MKIs as part of the IAF’s fleet of 272 of the type, had been eager for additional orders to keep its assembly lines active.

IAF sources said the additional aircraft will boost the service’s depleting fighter squadron numbers, which had dropped from a sanctioned strength of 42 to 28 squadrons.