The first Su-30MKI fighter squadron, armed with the aviation version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, entered service with the Indian Air Force. The solemn ceremony took place at the Tanjavour airbase (Tanjor) in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on January 20.

According to the Chief Air Marshal of the Indian Air Force Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria, fighters will mainly perform strike missions during naval operations. According to him, these aircraft will bring "a tremendous expansion of the operational potential of the Indian Air Force." The words of the commander are quoted by the Times of India.

“Our dream has come true to give the Indian Air Force a formidable and much-needed opportunity to deliver high-precision strikes against any targets, sea and land, from great distances, without entering the enemy’s air defense strike zone," said the Director General of the Russian-Indian joint venture, in turn Brahmos Aerospace Sudhir Misra in conversation with Times of India.

As the newspaper notes, from four to six fighters will now be on combat duty at the Tanjavur base, and by the end of the year the Tiger Sharks squadron will be fully equipped and will have 18 aircraft.

At the same time, it is indicated that aircraft with BrahMos missiles will serve as a platform for providing strategic control over the Indian Ocean, primarily in the Bay of Bengal area.

Earlier, India announced its intentions to equip the Su-30MKI with modified versions of BrahMos. As noted, the aircraft must carry five missiles: four of them will be located under the wing planes, one - under the fuselage.

The Su-30MKI twin multipurpose heavy fighter is the result of Russian-Indian cooperation. The first contract for the supply of these aircraft of the Indian Air Force was signed in the fall of 1996. At first, only Russia produced military vehicles, and in 2000, the original license for their creation was received by the cooperation of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). It is estimated that India will have a total of 272 such aircraft.

The fighter has a speed of up to 2 Machs and without refueling it is able to cover a distance of up to 3 thousand km. On board it can carry 8 tons of payload at a maximum height of 17 km.

The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is also a joint Russian-Indian product manufactured by BrahMos Aerospace. The weapon was developed by the Russian machine-building NGO and the Indian Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). The first missile test took place in 2001.

Recall that the BrahMos technological platform was the Onyx domestic anti-ship missile (export version - Yakhont). The product can hit sea and land targets at a range of about 300 km.

Such missiles are manufactured in modifications of air, ship, underwater and ground based. Their average speed is 2-3 Mach. As noted on the BrahMos Aerospace website, the destructive power of products "increases due to the large kinetic energy of the destructive impact."

  • Supersonic BrahMos rockets
  • Reuters
  • © B Mathur

At the same time, a Russian-Indian enterprise is working to improve the characteristics of missiles. In particular, it is planned to increase the range of target destruction to 800 km. In July, Indian director of BrahMos Aerospace, Kumar Mishra, announced that the development of a prototype rocket with a range of 500 km was completed. In addition, the company intends to increase its speed to 4.5-5 Mach. At the same time, Russian and Indian specialists are working on the creation of BrahMos II hypersonic ammunition. The project is planned to be completed in the mid-2020s.

Recall that the BrahMos tests were repeatedly carried out by India in 2019. The last missile launches took place in December. According to the Ministry of Defense of the republic, both products have successfully hit educational surface targets.

"Provides the highest accuracy of defeat"

According to military expert Yuri Knutov, mutually beneficial cooperation between Russia and India has allowed the creation of two products that are highly competitive in the global arms market.

“The Su-30MKI aircraft is a unique machine, it is specially designed for India. This fighter has shown its effectiveness in military operations, and its design allows you to share functions between the two pilots. Moreover, the fundamental question is that the fighter can carry the BrahMos rocket, which is being finalized and improved. At this stage, it has been upgraded to such a level that the SU-30MKI can carry it, ”said the expert in a conversation with RT.

Knutov also emphasized that the value of this rocket lies in its ability to fly at a height of five meters.

“At this level, most of the radar stations that are installed on the ships are located, so they can’t see it. BrahMos can quietly fly up to the target and hit it, ”the analyst explained.

According to Knutov, it is important for India to possess such weapons.

“Because it allows her, if necessary, to deliver high-precision strikes on enemy ships, which can be located in the Indian Ocean. A high-precision rocket can be used at any time of the day, in any weather conditions. In addition, this product has an upgraded control system - the rocket flies in the direction of the target, and on approach, the homing head is turned on, which ensures the highest accuracy of destruction. BrahMos can cause tremendous damage to a large ship, ”the expert said.

According to Knutov, the life of such a rocket is about 10 years, while during this period it does not need maintenance.

Building up cooperation

Su-30MKI with BrahMos missiles is not the only partnership line between Russia and India in the military-technical sector.

As the Chief Air Force Marshal of the Indian Air Force Birender Singh Dhanoa, who held this position, noted in July 2019, "the other most common type of aircraft in India is the Mi-17, both in the military and civilian sectors." He said this in an interview with the newspaper of the Russian Armed Forces "Red Star".

According to him, Russia has helped its Indian counterparts modernize several aviation complexes, including the MiG-29. At the same time, discussions on the possibilities for Russian companies to participate “in the production of components and spare parts in India” are open, the military leader emphasized.

“In our opinion, this will significantly reduce time costs and tighten the production cycle,” he explained.

  • New Delhi
  • AFP
  • © Manan Vatsyayana

In addition, Dhanoa expressed a desire to “involve Russian manufacturers in the creation of joint ventures in India.”

“And we are counting on support from the Russian side in this matter,” the marshal said.

However, experts call the supply of Russian anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) S-400 the most promising line of cooperation between Russia and India.

In November 2019, the general director of Rosoboronexport, Alexander Mikheev, announced that the first regiment of these air defense systems would be delivered to India in September 2021.

“The first payment by the Indian side under the contract for the supply of S-400 systems has been received. In what currency are payments going, I will not specify. But this is a very positive moment for intensifying the planned work on the production of the first elements of the system, ”he said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

Recall that Moscow and New Delhi signed a contract for the supply of five regimental sets of S-400 worth more than $ 5 billion in the fall of 2018. At the same time, Washington repeatedly expressed its dissatisfaction with the deal. So, in June 2019, the State Department announced that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wants to recommend India to think about alternatives to buying Russian air defense systems. However, the Indian Foreign Ministry stated that the United States has no right to indicate to the republic whether it can acquire Russian weapons or not.

Another component of the joint cooperation between New Delhi and Moscow in the military-technical sphere is the training of military personnel and the conduct of exercises. In December, maneuvers of the Armed Forces of Russia and India were held under the name "Indra - 2019". The training included the marine phase, during which a detachment of ships of the two countries was formed. Among other things, maneuvers for organizing communications and joint tactical maneuvers were carried out.

As Dhanoa noted, India would like to “find more opportunities for training the military personnel of the Indian Air Force.”

“I was pleasantly surprised by the flight simulators, especially the Il-76. It would be a good idea to send our specialists to Russia not only for acquaintance, but also for training ... For us, this is another area where we could develop cooperation, ”he said.

According to Boris Volkhonsky, associate professor at the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Moscow State University, military-technical partnership is one of the main areas of cooperation between Russia and India.

“The Indian leadership always looks at the best combination of price and quality, and the Russian military-industrial complex can provide this,” the expert stated in an interview with RT.

Yuri Knutov, in turn, pointed to a positive trend in increasing cooperation in the field of military-technical cooperation between the two countries.

“Russian-Indian cooperation, including in the military industry, will only be strengthened, given that the prospects in this area are quite large. Despite the fact that a number of joint projects are facing US opposition, India understands that from the point of view of the effectiveness of the functioning of weapons, it cannot find better military equipment than Russian, ”the analyst concluded.