How good is India's Su 30 MKI

I read the article about the IAF Su 30MKI’s in the latest issue of Air Int. I was some how a bit suprised by the negative reactions from not only foreigners, but also from IAF officers themselves.

The Sukhoi 30 were delivered into 4 different batches, reffered as Su 30 MK-I till Su 30 MK-IV. The first batch were just probe-equiped Su27UB trainers, and were secondhand RusAF Su’s, although IAF paid for new ones.

The original Su 30 K was an interceptor, not a multirole fighter. Sukhoi added limited A/G capabilities to it and made the Su 30 MK out of it. This aircraft was seen in action during several excercises, dropping dumb bombs at day. However, foreign journalists claimed this was more a prove of the pilot’s skills than the capabilities of the aircraft.

All older Su 30MK’s (I-III) will be transformed to the new MKI standard, not yet in service. Was it a good idea of India to buy the Sukhoi’s or did they better opt for the MiG 29M?

The MiG 29 was supposed to replace the MiG 21 in the same roles. However IAF chose the Su 30 as the winner of the competition. The IAF never used two-seat attackers before, so what will the Su 30 bring?
Geforce – “Always remember: the aircraft you are flying is most probably built by the lowest bidder.”