Some Su-30 Operators Eye BrahMos-A for Firepower Boost

Many friendly nations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region use Sukhoi-30 fighter jets. This makes them potential customers for India's BrahMos-A, a powerful air-launched cruise missile.

The BrahMos-A is designed for attacking targets on land or at sea. It's supersonic, meaning it travels faster than the speed of sound. In fact, it's the world's fastest air-launched cruise missile, reaching speeds exceeding Mach 3. With a range of 450 km, it significantly increases the firepower of any fighter jet it's equipped on.

The BrahMos-A is compatible with the Sukhoi-30, a jet widely used in the MENA region. However, adding the missile to a Sukhoi-30 isn't as simple as plug-and-play. The BrahMos-A is heavy, weighing 2.5 tons. To carry it, the Sukhoi-30 needs modifications to make it stronger. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) specializes in carrying out these upgrades.

The complexity of adding the BrahMos-A highlights the need for a strong partnership between India and potential buyers in the MENA region. India's expertise in developing and integrating the BrahMos-A, combined with the MENA air forces' experience with the Sukhoi-30, can ensure successful and secure use of the weapon.

The BrahMos-A isn't just about firepower. It also offers an opportunity for India and MENA nations to collaborate more closely in defense technology. This could include joint training exercises, sharing knowledge, and even developing new weapons systems together. Such partnerships can enhance security in the region.

 

[Guru]

Just well all the Su 30 junk to these countries and get some F35s

 

[abhinav srivastava]

Bramhos is our highest tech and it provides us lead over our enemies. Don't sell it to everyone. Only to very very close allies.

 

[Kira]

To be sure,even Astra and potentially other Indian domestic armaments which are mainly designed to replace their current Russian analogues can be offered to these countries currently operating Su-30 and even MiG-29 variants.It will all depend on skills of Indian diplomats and capabilities of Indian arms producers to convince these nations to buy it's gear.

 

[The_rED_dEVIL]

Is there anyone other than Algeria to operate Su 30 in that region, their variant is Su 30MKA which is derived from MKI variant

 

[Anant]

Just well all the Su 30 junk to these countries and get some F35s

Would you start talking some sense for once, please? If you can't, then just stop trolling. You surely would have better things to do than randomly troll (I hope).

The Su-30 is a perfectly good fighter, regardless of what claims you make. As for F-35s, how many times must it be said on this forum that the US hasn't offered F-35s to India? The international arms market is not your average supermarket where you can just waltz in and pick whatever you want. Are you willing to talk to the Americans to get India the F-35? If so, go ahead. If not, sit back.

 

[NSR]

The original Brahmos-A is very heavy.
The host country SU-30s need remanufacturing to strengthen their bodies to carry it.
It is not plug and fly type of missile.

 

[Sandeep]

While there might be interest the problem is that the Brahmos A is very large and heavy and the Sukhoi jets will need be modified. They will need to make many structural changes and will need to strengthen its underbelly just so that it can hold the missile and it can only carry one missile. Also it will cost more money to modify it and will need it to be done by Russia as they are the OEM so those small countries might not be able to afford all of these changes. The best option is to develop the Brahmos NG which provides the same performance but a much smaller and lighter missile and the jet can easily carry several of them at the same time and without requiring any modifications.