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Indian Air Force Set To Deploy ASRAAM-Armed SU-30 MKI Fighter Jets

The Indian Air Force is ready to deploy ASRAAM air-to-air close combat missile in its Sukhoi Su-30 MKI Fighters. Indian Air Force’s ASRAAM supported with British Missile System will merge with Russian-origin Sukhoi fighter jets.

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The top Indian Air Force sources said: “A pair of HAL-built Su-30 MKI jets have gone through required modifications in software to deploy the MBDA ASRAAM missile”.

The progress was marked after IAF successfully integrated the missile system with its Jaguar deep penetration strike jets. The ASRAAM integrated Jaguars are part of IAF’s 250 million pounds contract with United Kingdom’s MBDA in July 2014. The modified Jaguars are to be declared operational by 2019.

According to the report, the Indian Air Force is aiming to fully replace the Su-30 MKI’s current close combat missile, Russian Vympel R-73, with the ASRAAM in a phased manner. The ASRAAM-armed Su-30 is expected to be declared ready around the same time as the Jaguars and will make use of the same test cycle.

The National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) was assigned the task of checking the stability of the ASRAAM on the Su-30 airframe at its Bengaluru wind-tunnel.

More News at EurAsian Times

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