New Delhi, Sept 17: India has become the first country in the world to field the advanced multirole version of Sukhoi-30 MKI with its first squadron becoming operational with the Indian Air Force.
With the last two of the advanced Su-MKI arriving here on giant Russian Antonov 124 transport aircraft, the first squadron of the multirole version would be formally inaugrated by defence minister George Fernandes at Pune airbase on September 27, according to IAF officials here. The new Sukhois equipped with variable thrust engines and the state-of-art bars phased-array radars would make India the most formidable air power in the region.

IAF officials said that India would receive the second lot of upgraded Su-30 MKI aircraft next year and another ten in 2004, after which the upgradation of the initial su-30 would be undertaken in Russia.
Indian Air Force received the first batch of 18 Su-30 in 1997, most of which where of the air-defence version, but they could not be used during the Kargil conflict.
Officials said the first batch of the upgraded Sukhoi's pilot had already been trained under Russian instructors in Pune.
Bureau Report