With MiG 25’s gone, Sukhois to become eye in the sky

[+ghostrider883 526]

With MiG 25’s gone, Sukhois to become eye in the sky

 

“Bareilly is strategically located and we are converting it into a hub for Su-30 MKI fighters. Another squadron, No 8 The Pursuits, is being re-equipped with the fighters and will also be based here,”

A swap deal, under which 14 of the older, non-operational Su-30 MK’s would be replaced by MKIs by Russia, will help equip the Squadron No 8 at Bareilly, a senior officer confirmed.

A new MKI Sqdn

[JediMaster 451]

There's going to be more Flankers in SE Asia than there are in Russia soon!

[BUFF 8]

With MiG 25’s gone, Sukhois to become eye in the sky

I though that you were getting your own AWACS platform?

Afterall that's part of the reason that the IAF deployed to the UK this summer , to learn AWACS procedures.

[+ghostrider883 526]

I though that you were getting your own AWACS platform?

Afterall that's part of the reason that the IAF deployed to the UK this summer , to learn AWACS procedures.

 

Indeed. The first of the IL-76 Phalcon AWACS shall arrive in India from Israel later this year or early next year. The Su-30s are being modified for Reconaissance role, which was earlier taken care of by No.35/102 Sqdn's MiG-25Rs.

 

From the article:

A year after the mighty MiG-25 spy planes were phased out of service at the Bareilly airbase, the latest fighters in IAF’s inventory are being fitted with Israeli reconnaissance systems that will help them look more than 300 km inside Chinese territory without crossing the border.

 

A team of experts from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will shortly visit the airbase to integrate the Elta Reconnaissance System on the fighters and help set up a ground receiving station to collect live images being taken by the aircraft, a senior IAF officer confirmed.

 

“With the MiG-25's gone, there was a gap in surveillance capabilities. The (Bareilly-based) 24 Squadron has now been tasked with reconnaissance duties and will shortly be fitted with recon pods,” the officer said, adding that reconnaissance will be just one of the many roles tasked to the squadron.

 

We all know by now that our MiG-25Rs were invloved in PR missions high and deep inside Pakistan and China. The Su-30s can't fly as high or as fast as the MiG-25Rs. To offest the lack of relative speed and service celing of the Su's, these special reconaissance pods are being acquired.