Indian domestic Su-30 is one and a half times more expensive than the imported version from Russia
Improved features and additional costs make the unit price of the Su-30MKI produced by India much higher than the imported version.
India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is producing the Su-30MKI fighter jet with technology transferred from Russia at a unit price of up to 62 million USD, about 22 million USD higher than the Russian-made version, according toSputnik.
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Indian Air Force Su-30MKI fighter. Photo: IAF |
Indian Defense Minister Subhash Bhamre said the biggest reason for this price difference is the difference in specifications between the domestic and imported versions.
"The indigenous Su-30MKI version has been improved and supplemented to enhance combat capabilities and better suit the operations of the Indian Air Force. In addition, the fact that the number of indigenous Su-30MKIs produced is much lower than the Russian version also makes the cost higher," Minister Bhamre emphasized.
Bhamre also said that the cost of purchasing production licenses, technology transfer and some exclusive equipment from Russia also increased the unit price of producing Su-30MKI.
The Su-30MKI is a two-seat, twin-engine multirole fighter designed by Russia's Sukhoi Aircraft Corporation and assembled by India under a technology transfer agreement between the two countries. Under the contract, 50 Su-30MKIs will be built in Russia and 200 will be assembled in India.