IAF to acquire advanced Sukhois next year -- Tipnis

IAF to acquire advanced Sukhois next year -- Tipnis
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

New Delhi, Aug 29: An advanced version of Sukhoi-30 combat aircraft with multi-role capability and the first batch of upgraded MIG-21 `BIS' fighter jets will join the Indian Air Force next year, Air Chief A Y Tipnis said today.

The delivery programme by Russia of advanced Sukhoi-30,`MK-1', which will give the IAF "upfront air superiority and defence capabilities", was now back on rails after initial hitches, Tipnis told a select group of newspersons here.

He said the country was also close to acquisition of British Aerospace `Hawk' Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT), and was looking towards Airborne Early Warning Technology studying various options available including Israeli-made `Phalcon'.

"The flight trials of prototypes of the upgraded MIG-21 `BIS' with better navigation, armament, radar and head-up display, have been completed and armament trials are currently under way in Russia and we expect the first batch of these planes to roll out of HAL assembly lines in Nasik by next year," Tipnis said.