Sukhois fly in to save the day but for how long?
July 6, 2015
Replacing older MiGs with the Sukhoi-30 makes sense in a crunch situation but in the long term the IAF has to look for alternatives.
India seems to have accepted the adage that you fight with the best weapons you have, not with the weapons you want. The Indian Air Force will stand down three squadrons of the MiG-21 and MiG-27 jets at the end of their life cycle. Replacing these ageing warhorses will be the Su-30 air dominance fighter.
Inducting more Su-30 Flankers to fill in for retiring aircraft is a sensible move – at least for now. Forced to live within budgets, the IAF cannot splurge on flying white elephants like the Rafale, however appealing they may be. The French aircraft is expected to cost in the region of $200 million per aircraft whereas replacement Sukhois made locally at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) cost around $75 million each.
Each Made in India Sukhoi is worth a handful of imported aircraft. As well as the cost benefit aspect, there is the advantage of being able to quickly make up for war losses. During a conflict, foreign sellers are likely to shake down India for everything they can and the IAF won’t be in any position to bargain. If HAL is able to crank out enough Sukhois, then blackmail is not an option.
According to Bharat Rakshak, India currently has 204 MiG-21s and 99 MiG-27s. It is from this fleet the IAF will retire three squadrons – or 54 aircraft – over the coming two-three years. Filling in will be 18 Su-30s.
But here’s the rub. Just like a tradesman needs a number of specialised tools to be able to undertake and complete a variety of tasks, the air force needs specialised aircraft – light, medium-sized and heavy – to perform different roles.
The MiG-21 is a light interceptor and fighter escort, plus it provides combat air patrol. The Sukhoi being an air superiority fighter can perform these roles. But let’s say the IAF wants to vector a couple of aircraft to intercept a Pakistan Air Force JF-17 intruder. The IAF’s fighter of choice against this Chinese knockoff is likely to be a MiG-21 rather than the Sukhoi. While the Sukhoi can do the job, it would be inefficient to use a strategic aircraft in a low to medium intensity mission. Sending an aircraft that weighs over 18,000 kilos (unloaded) against the comparatively tiny JF-17 (6400 kilos) would also be overkill.
Now let’s come to the MiG-27, a mid-sized ground attack aircraft. The IAF deploys this Cold Warrior in two different roles. One, along with the ancient Jaguar and the multirole Mirage-2000, the Russian aircraft is used as a nuclear bomber. With the MiG-27s expected to fly into the sunset by 2020, the Sukhoi are pitching in. Two squadrons of Sukhois – a virtual Mini Air Force – are currently being configured for the nuclear strike role. The Flanker’s Russian designers never intended the aircraft to be used in a nuclear delivery role because the Russian Air Force has dedicated planes for that, but the IAF is proceeding ahead with the conversion because it has few options.
Secondly, the MiG-27 was developed to support rapidly moving infantry and armoured columns. For instance, the aircraft is most likely to be deployed to take out a column of advancing Pakistani tanks. But what's bread and butter for the MiG-27 could prove suicidal for the Sukhoi because the much heavier Flanker isn’t meant to be used in a battlefield support role. Risking a $75 million aircraft against a Pakistani Al Khalid tank that costs $5 million makes no military sense. Smaller jets or attack helicopters are better suited in this role.
Where the Sukhoi fits
The Sukhoi’s primary strength is in destroying strategic targets and establishing air dominance for other IAF aircraft to operate with impunity. A good example of such a role played by an IAF aircraft was during the 1999Kargil War when MiG-29s flying over Jammu & Kashmir prevented Pakistan’s American-built F-16s from coming to the aid of the Pakistan Army.
While a number of IAF aircraft took part in the Kargil campaign, it was the cover provided by the MiG-29 Fulcrum armed with beyond visual range (BVR) missiles that exposed the PAF’s plight. “While PAF fighters did fly combat air patrols during the conflict, they stayed well within Pakistani air space," says a Strategy Page report. “On occasions, IAF MiG-29s armed with the deadly R-77 BVR air-to-air missiles were able to lock on to PAF F-16s, forcing the latter to disengage. In the absence of a PAF threat, the IAF was able to deliver numerous devastating strikes on intruder positions and supply dumps.”
This is the role the Sukhoi is meant to play in any future conflict. Currently being armed with the supersonic BrahMos missile, the Flankers can also establish dominance over the oceans to prevent a re-enactment of the 1971 War with Pakistan when the US despatched its Seventh Fleet up the Bay of Bengal in a show of support for Pakistan. The British Navy had also sent in a small flotilla to target Mumbai.
It was the timely arrival of the Russian Pacific Fleet from Vladivostok that stopped this joint American-British strike on India. The downside of this support from Moscow was that India had to make major compromises in its war plans. New Delhi had intended to strike deep inside West Pakistan and completely annihilate Pakistani armour. But Russia insisted that since India had achieved all its objectives – including slicing Pakistan in half – there was no need to continue the war. Moscow was under pressure from Washington, which threatened to call of strategic arms limitations talks if India further dismantled Pakistan.
The incursion of the US Seventh Fleet left a deep scar in India’s collective memory. In this backdrop, the Sukhoi, BrahMos and an extensive armoury of ballistic missiles are India’s insurance that in any future conflict, threats from the US or China can be neutralised without having to rely overly on Russia.
Need for alternatives
The Sukhoi can only be a short-term fix, not a permanent solution. India needs to rapidly induct the HAL-developed Tejas light combat jet and step up work on newer versions. At $30-40 million the Tejas offers a tantalising cost-benefit advantage over the Rafale.
A few hundred Tejas jets of varying configurations can overwhelm enemy defences. It was a Cold War strategy adopted by Russia during the 1970s when its fighter jets were not as advanced as western aircraft. The Russian logic was that "quantity has a quality all its own". The belief was that multiple attacks in tandem could pre-empt, unhinge and paralyse the enemy.
India also needs to look beyond HAL in case the Tejas turns out to be a dud like the Marut jet of the 1960s. A brand new aircraft company – with foreign aerospace specialists – whose sole mission is to develop world class warplanes is the need of the hour. India’s aircraft sector can emulate the success of the BrahMos Corporation, which employs Russian engineers and scientists and is run like a private company free of State control.
For a country of India’s economic and geopolitical heft, dependence on foreign military purchases is not just embarrassing but also suicidal.
The opinion of the writer may not necessarily reflect the position of RIR.
Why the BrahMos armed Sukhoi is bad news for India’s enemies
April 20, 2015
By successfully modifying the Su-30MKI to carry the supersonic BrahMos missile, India has signalled its intent to strike with devastating force early on in a conflict.
India has signalled its intent to strike enemy targets with devastating force early on in a conflict.
In September 2010 India’s newly constituted tri-services Strategic Forces Command (SFC) submitted a proposal to the Defence Ministry for setting up two dedicated squadrons of aircraft comprising 40 Su-30MKI air dominance fighters. The task of this “mini air force” is to deliver nuclear weapons.
The picture became clearer in October 2012 when the Cabinet Committee on Security green lighted a programme to carry out structural and software modifications on 42 Su-30MKIs and acquire 216 air-launched BrahMos missiles. Until then, the BrahMos – the product of an India-Russia joint venture – was for exclusive use by the Navy.
In March 2015 the SFC received the first of these 42 Sukhois equipped with the air launched version of the supersonic BrahMos. This is the first time that the SFC, which at present depends on the Indian Air Force (IAF) for delivering nuclear weapons under its command, is acquiring its own aerial assets.
Currently, India’s nuclear delivery system is based on land-based ballistic missiles such as the Agni and Prithvi plus the IAF’s nuclear-capable Mirage 2000, Su-30 MKI and Jaguar fighter-bombers. The final element of the nuclear triad, submarine-launched missiles, is still being tested.
Individually, the Su-30 and BrahMos are powerful weapons. But when the world’s most capable fourth generation fighter is armed with a uniquely destructive cruise missile, together they are a dramatic force multiplier.
The BrahMos’ 3600 km per hour speed – literally faster than a bullet – means it hits the target with a huge amount of kinetic energy. In tests, the BrahMos has often cut warships in half and reduced ground targets to smithereens. The Sukhoi’s blistering speed will add extra launch momentum to the missile, plus the aircraft’s ability to penetrate hardened air defences means there is a greater chance for the pilot to deliver the missile on to its designated targets.
Likely targets
Considering that India’s primary enemy is Pakistan and that country’s chief backer is China, against which India has fought two conflicts – losing in 1962 and winning in 1967 – these two countries are the obvious targets.
Against Pakistan, the targets are obvious. A two-squadron attack using most of the SFC’s air assets can within minutes utterly cripple the country’s command and control centres; nuclear power plants, including the Kahuta ‘Death Star’ where the majority of the “Islamic” bombs are manufactured; the Sargodha Central Ammunition Depot west of Lahore where these warheads are stored; ballistic missile bases in Gujranwala, Okara, Multan, Jhang and Dera Nawab Shah; Pakistani Army Corp headquarters in Rawalpindi; the Karachi Port, Pakistani’s only major harbour and its Naval HQ; and ordinance factories that manufacture tanks and fighter aircraft.
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The supersonic BrahMos armed with a conventional warhead can theoretically penetrate hardened command, control and communication centres. However, there is no guarantee these targets will be 100 per cent destroyed unless the BrahMos is nuclear tipped. A pre-emptive nuclear strike will therefore ensure that Pakistan’s offensive capability is effectively neutralised and it is never again a threat to India.
Against China, the Sukhoi-BrahMos one-two punch seems counter-intuitive as Chinese targets are located deep inland or on the coast. However, the Su-30MKI has a maximum range of 3000 km (extendable to 8000 km with in-flight refuelling). Now add the BrahMos’s 300 km reach and India can hit targets 3300 km inside China.
Why the Sukhoi-BrahMos option?
The Su-30MKI is an obvious choice. The SFC does not want untested fighters but the ones which can be relied upon to deliver nuclear-tipped missiles. The aircraft has a titanium airframe strong enough to fly a high-speed terrain following profile. The batch of 42 Sukhois will also have hardened electronic circuitry to shield them from the electromagnetic pulse of a nuclear blast.
Having a dedicated aircraft for the nuclear attack role offers India’s war planners strategic flexibility and increases the odds of success. Because ballistic missiles are used only as a weapon of last resort, they cannot really be deployed at will. Once released, they cannot be recalled and if shot down are not easily replaced. Fighter aircraft, on the other hand, can perform repeated sorties and be directed to bomb targets as they move. For instance, if Pakistan moves it warheads out of Sargodha depot, which is presumably under constant watch by Indian satellites, the Sukhois can be vectored against a column of Pakistani trucks transporting their nuclear cargo.
The SFC’s mini air force of 42 Sukhois can also launch their missiles against Pakistani targets from within Indian airspace or while flying over international waters, thereby complicating the enemy’s defences. It is a lot easier for India to destroy Pakistani war fighting capability because not only is Pakistan relatively smaller but it has also concentrated its defences in one province, Punjab.
Further developments
Because heavy modifications were necessary for integrating such a heavy missile onto the Su-30MKI, initially it seemed to make little sense to deploy a single missile. Aviation Week reports that initially even Sukhoi was reluctant to go along. That prompted HAL to go solo, but Aviation Week says Sukhoi came on board in 2011. The Russian side provided HAL with technical consultancy especially for the modifications to the fuselage in order to accommodate the 9-metre-long missile.
“Work is also underway on a modified lighter and smaller-diameter version of the BrahMos for deployment on the Indian navy's MiG-29K and, potentially, the Dassault Rafale,” says Aviation Week.
And signalling the country’s immunity from western sanctions, DRDO scientists say the 300 km cap on the missile’s range will be removed. The next generation BrahMos is likely to be a longer range weapon. And with the planned increased in speed, the missile will have considerably enhanced kinetic energy despite its smaller size optimised for relatively smaller aircraft such as the MiG-29.
That’s really bad news if you are in the Sukhoi-BrahMos crosshairs.
The opinion of the writer may not necessarily reflect the position of RIR.
India proud to be armed with the Su-30MKI fighter – Indian Minister
March 26, 2015
The Indian Air Force is proud to possess the Sukhoi (Su-30MKI) fighter plane, one of the world’s most powerful jet aircraft, said India’s Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who is himself an accomplished pilot. By 2018, India’s Air Force is expected to possess 14 Su-30MKI fighter jet squadrons.
The Su-30MKI fighter aircraft which India has acquired from Russia is one of the most powerful in the world and a source of pride for the Indian Air Force (IAF), said Rajiv Pratap Rudy, while inaugurating the first Russian-Indian Youth Forum.
"India takes pride that we have in our arsenal the Su-30MKI, which is one of the most powerful fighter planes in the world ", said Rudy, Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
A Russia-India youth summit will take place on March 27. It is expected that more than 300 people aged between 18 and 35 will participate in the summit. The Russian Union of Youth is organizing the summit with sponsorship from Rossotrudnichestvo in India.
Rudy, an accomplished pilot and former state minister for civil aviation, was among those involved in organising the Aero India 2015 air show last month in Bangalore, and took a 40 - minute ride himself on a Su-30MKI fighter, as the co- pilot.
Rudy is not the first Indian politician to fly aboard the Su-30MKI. In 2009, India’s only lady President, Pratibha Patil, trained for and took a 20 minute test flight on this aircraft.
The IAF has ordered a total of 272 Russian Su-30MKI fighters. These will be assembled in India under a license granted to Indian airplane construction company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, a government-owned enterprise.
Since 2007, Russia has supplied India with 50 pre-assembled Su-30MKI fighter jets, and under license, another 134 aircraft have been assembled in India. By 2018 the IAF is likely to establish 14 Su-30MKI fighter squadrons, with 272 aircraft in service.
Su-30MKI vs. Rafale: A virtual battle
January 20, 2015
Military expert Mikhail Timoshenko compared the combat capabilities of the Russian Su-30MKI and the French fighter jet Rafale, which are competing for the right to enter the Indian Air Force. According to the expert, the Rafale is a good aircraft, but “cannot come close” to the SU-30MKI.
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