New Delhi: Russian-made Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets will get 240 new AL-31FP engines worth Rs 26,000 crore, the Ministry of Defense has signed a contract.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Modi on Monday (August 2) gave the go-ahead for these 240 jet engines. These engines will power the IAF’s 259 Su-30 MKI jets. Sukhois is one of the most powerful and strategic aircraft of the IAF. Supply of these aero engines by HAL will meet the fleet’s equipment requirements to continue uninterrupted operations and strengthen the nation’s defense preparedness.
Typically, engines are replaced 2 to 3 times during the entire lifetime of a fighter aircraft, which is 30 to 40 years. It will be manufactured at Bengaluru-headquartered Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) plant in Koraput. These engines will have 54 percent indigenous content, while the remaining components, sub-systems and systems will be imported from Russia.
Under the contract, HAL will manufacture 240 aero engines for the Indian Air Force. The central government has announced that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will complete the supply of all the engines within the next eight years by supplying 30 aero engines each year.
