IAF to get 240 Sukhoi aircraft engines from HAL

THE Defence Ministry on Monday signed a ₹26,000 crore contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for 240 AL-31FP aero engines for Sukhoi (Su)-30MKI aircraft.

- MAYANK SINGH

The contract was inked by the senior officials of MoD and HAL in the presence of Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar and Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari in New Delhi.

The Cabinet Committee on Security had approved the procurement of these engines on September 2. The supply of all 240 engines would be completed over the period of next eight years. The Su-30 MKI is one of the Indian Air Force's most powerful and strategically significant fleets. Of the total 272 contracted, the IAF currently operates 259 Su-30 MKI fighters, which are manufactured by HAL under a license extended by Russia.