India plans a major mid-life upgrade of its Su-30MKI fleet (the Super Sukhoi/Super-30 programme) to keep roughly 200 jets relevant against modern threats for decades.

The core of the upgrade is the indigenous Virupaksha AESA radar (GaN technology, ~2,400–2,600 TR modules), plus new avionics, electronic warfare systems, mission computers, and better integration of Indian weapons such as Astra and Rudram.

Estimated cost is about $8 billion for the first 84 aircraft and $11 billion for a possible second batch of ~120; testing is expected to take several years after final Cabinet approval, bridging the gap until newer fighters like Tejas Mk2 and AMCA arrive in numbers.

India is getting ready for one of the biggest fighter aircraft upgrades it has ever attempted. The Indian Air Force wants to take its large fleet of Su-30MKI jets and turn them into far more capable machines that can stay useful against modern threats for many more decades. This effort is popularly known as the Super Sukhoi, or Super-30, programme.

The Su-30MKI is a heavy, twin-engine multirole fighter and it forms the backbone of the IAF. India has roughly 260 of these aircraft in service. They fly long distances, carry a heavy load of weapons, and are the only aircraft cleared to launch the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. But technology never stands still. Radars, electronics and mission systems that were good twenty years ago now look dated, and they must be updated if these jets are to........

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