Indian Flankers Test British Typhoons on Exercise
Su-30MKI combat jets impressed during a deployment to the UK; more orders likely as India drops MMRCA
An RAF Typhoon and an Indian air force Flanker maneuvering over the North Sea during Exercise Indradhanush. (photo: MoD Crown Copyright)
An RAF Typhoon and an Indian air force Flanker maneuvering over the North Sea during Exercise Indradhanush. (photo: MoD Crown Copyright)

Indian air force pilots (IAF) flying their Su-30MKI Flankers provided stiff opposition for a UK Royal Air Force (RAF) Eurofighter Typhoon squadron during air combat maneuvering exercises just ended in the UK. Senior officers from both the IAF and the RAF were unwilling to discuss details, but AIN understands from informed sources with knowledge of the exercise that, in close combat, the thrust vector control (TVC) on the heavier Flankers more than compensated for the greater thrust-to-weight ratio of the Typhoon. The IAF is likely to buy another 30 or 40 Su-30MKIs from the licensed Indian production line, boosting its fleet to close to 300, especially after last week’s formal withdrawal by Delhi of the RFP for a Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA).