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Su-30MKI - aeronef.net
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Disagreeing
with the opposition's interpretation of an audit report that found that Su-30
fighter jets supplied to the Indian Air Force by the local firm HAL are
costlier that those supplied by the Russian OEM, the India government has
clarified that the version being locally manufactured have been modified for
enhanced operational capability.
New Delhi
(Sputnik) — India's defence ministry has listed several reasons
for the higher costs of the Su-30 fighter jets supplied to the
Indian Air Force (IAF) from the local production line, in comparison
to those supplied directly by the original Russian manufacturer.
Subhash Bhamre,
India's Minister of State for Defence, said on Wednesday that
the foremost reason for the higher cost is that the specifications
of the Russian SU-30 and indigenously manufactured SU-30MKI are not the
same; hence, a one to one comparison of cost may not be appropriate.
State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
(HAL) is currently producing the Su-30MKI at a flyaway cost
of around $62 million per aircraft, which is
around $22 million higher than the Su-30 jet supplied
by Russia.
"Additional modifications are incorporated in the
indigenous Su-30MKI to enhance the operational capability and to suit
Indian Air Force (IAF) requirements. Owing to the low volume
of production of the Indian SU-30 MKI as compared
to the —Russian SU-30, economies of scale come
into play," Minister Subhash Bhamre argued while replying to a
query raised by a fellow parliamentarian.
Bhamre added that being a Transfer of Technology
(ToT) programme, the total cost also involves payment of license fee
to the Russian side.
HAL imports raw materials and proprietary components
from Russian firms and assembles them at its production facility
in Nasik. HAL is presently assembling the last 23 Su-30MKI on order
from the Ministry of Defence.
"Import of raw materials and
proprietary components from Russia involves dependency on Russian
Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) for the offered kit costs, which
are not proportionate with the kit contents," Bhamre added.
The twin-seater, twin-engine Su-30MKI,
developed by Russian aircraft maker Sukhoi and license-built
in India, constitutes the backbone of the IAF. While the first 50
Su-30 aircraft were built in Russia, over 200 fighter jets were
assembled in India.
The Indian defence ministry has also argued
that indigenous manufacturing will create advanced skill sets in the
country, a step towards self-reliance.
"Indigenous manufacturing will result
in a lower life cycle cost and reduced dependency on OEM
on repair and maintenance and faster turn-around time and
quick support to IAF bases," Minister Bhamre further added.
Last year, HAL had offered to produce 40
additional Su-30MKI for the IAF at much a much lower court,
but India turned down the offer.
"Since the facilities are indigenously
established, future production supplies are likely to be cheaper if a new
order for bulk production is placed on HAL," Bhamre concluded.
Source: sputniknews.com
The Sukhoi Su-30MKI first took off on July, 1, 1997
Sukhoi Crash In Nashik: Fighter pilots eject safely from Rs 300 crore combat jet - Watch Video
Sukhoi Crash In Nashik: Fighter pilots eject safely from Rs 300 crore combat jet - Watch Video
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