The Indian Air Force’s Su-30MKI fleet will presumably be armed with a beyond-visual-range air to air missile by 2022. According to local media reports, the Indian Air Force is considering arming its fleet of Sukhoi Su-30MKI multirole air superiority fighter jets with the Israeli-made Rafael Advanced Defense Systems I-Derby extended range (ER) beyond-visual-range missile or BVRAAM by 2022.

The Israeli I-Derby ER is predicted to exchange the aging Russian-made Vympel R-77 also mentioned as “AA-12 Adder” air-to-air missiles (AAMs) currently being carried by the Su-30MKI. Russian R 77 was found wanting during the last year when the Indian Air Force fighters faced Pakistan Air Force PAF. In this article, Defense Updates analyzes why India plans to exchange Russian R 77 missile by Israeli missile I-Derby ER in its Sukhoi Su-30 MKI?

Astra Mk-1 Missile

Sukhoi Su 30 MKI Su-30MKIs, a customized variant of Sukhoi Su-30 is deployed by the Indian Air Force. It is a multirole fighter capable of executing both air-to-air and air- to-land attack missions. Su-30MKI has abilities almost like the Sukhoi Su-35 with which it shares many features and components.

It is interesting to note that the MKI version includes Israeli and French avionics. For example, the aircraft is fitted with a French-made heads-up display system and Israeli’s made EW system and a complicated targeting pod.

The IAF fleet of Su-30 MKIs consists of more than 250 aircraft. The first 50 aircraft were inbuilt-Russia and delivered to India in fly-away condition. The remaining aircraft have been assembled locally by Indian state-owned aircraft maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited or HAL. The IAF plans to upgrade its fleet of SU-30MKI to “Super Sukhois,” which includes fitting the aircraft with new long-range, precision-strike weapons systems, upgraded engines, and more advanced avionics. R 77 ADDER R-77 is Russian medium-range, active radar homing air-to-air missile. It is the Russian counterpart to the American AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. R-77 was marked by a severely protracted development. Work began within the 1980s but wasn't completed before the Soviet Union fell.

The munition features a laser-triggered proximity fuze and an expanding rod warhead which will destroy variable-sized targets. The missile uses a multi-function doppler-mono pulse active radar seeker developed by OAO Agat. The radar features two modes of operation, over short distances, the missile will launch in a lively "fire-and-forget" mode.

Over longer distances, the missile is controlled by an inertial guidance autopilot with occasional encoded link updates from the launch aircraft's radar on changes in spatial position or G of the target. As the missile comes within 20 km or 12 mi of its target, the missile switches to its active radar mode. The host radar system maintains computed target information in case the target breaks the missile's lock-on. NEED The decision needs to be seen in the context of the recent aerial skirmish between Indian and Pakistani fighters. Viewers may note that on 27th Feb 2019, a day after the bombing of the JeM terrorist training facility in Pakistan by the Indian Air Force, a short air battle ensued between Indian and Pakistani fighters. The Indian Sukhoi-30MKIs and other jets scrambled to intercept the incoming Pakistani fighters and found it difficult to engage the F-16s as they were outraged.

The Pakistani F-16s were armed with the AIM-120C advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles (AMRAAMs), which have a variety of about 105 km or around 65 miles whereas the Indian fighters had Russian made R-77 that has a range of around 80 km or around 50 miles. Pakistani fighters fired several of them at the Sukhoi-30MKIs before the latter could even get into their firing range. The Su 30MKIs were able to jam the missile and they fell to the ground harmlessly.

Indian Air Force (IAF) had displayed parts of the AIM-120C-5 fired by the F-16 during a press briefing. Though one of the Indian Mig 21 piloted by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman shot down a retreating Pakistani F16 with short-range R 73 missile, this was a wakeup call for Indian Air Force. Air to Air combat has evolved an excellent deal within the last 20 years.

Instead of close-range dogfights, the main target is on beyond visibility (BVR) combat. The idea is to require out the enemy at long ranges before he can fire. A missile is taken under consideration to be BVR if it can strike at a spread of 20 nm or 37 km and beyond. It was clear that a much better Air to Air missile was needed within the inventory.
I DERBY BVR MISSILE The Derby air to air missile is developed by Israel’s RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems as a variant of the Python family missile and reuses many of the components. The Derby BVR missile, featuring a light-weight design, is provided with four main wings and 4 conventional planar fins within the tail. It is designed to supply increased operational flexibility and multi-shot capability.

The weapon features a length of 362cm, a wingspan of 64cm and a diameter of 16cm. It is armed with a 50 lbs or 23kg warhead. I-Derby ER (Extended Range) is that the extended range version of the Derby and uses a dual-pulse solid rocket motor to enable a better range and better thrust within the terminal phase. It also combines the seeker and fuse into an integrated sensor and fusing system to form room for the new motor. It uses inertial guidance and datalink in midcourse and once within the vicinity of the target employs the active radar seeker. I-Derby ER may be a 'fire and forget' missile with super ECCM or ECCM capability making it very hard to jam. it's a high probability of hit and may be utilized in all weather. I-Derby ER uses an explosive Fragmentation warhead.

The missile can operate in lock-on before launch (LOBL) and lock-on after launch (LOAL) modes. In a (LOAL) mode of operation, it receives target information after being deployed from its launch platform, while in LOBL mode, which is enabled in tight dogfights, the seeker is locked onto the target before the missile is launched. it's integrated into an outsized number of aircraft like F-16, Dassault Mirage III, SAAB Gripen NG to call a couple of. ANALYSIS Air superiority is vital to any modern-day battle scenario. A potent fighter armed with a lethal air to air missile can change the dynamics of air battles. this is often why India is actively performing on having BVRAAM. Indian Air Force will get the Rafale armed with Meteor which is taken into account to be the simplest. Also, it's developing an indigenous one named Astra. The Astra missile is developed indigenously by DRDO or Defence Research and Development Organization.

It features mid-course inertial navigation with terminal active radar homing. Astra is meant to be capable of engaging targets at varying range and altitudes allowing engagement of both short-range targets at a distance of 20 km and long-range targets up to a distance of 110 km in head-on chase mode and 20 km in tail chase mode.

Astra is provided with ECCM to permit operation even during enemy attempts to jam the seeker using ECM. Once these missiles are in Indian Air Force, it'll get an enormous boost.

INDIA TO REPLACE RUSSIAN R-77 MISSILES INDIA TO REPLACE RUSSIAN R-77 MISSILES INDIA TO REPLACE RUSSIAN R-77 MISSILES INDIA TO REPLACE RUSSIAN R-77 MISSILES INDIA TO REPLACE RUSSIAN R-77 MISSILES INDIA TO REPLACE RUSSIAN R-77 MISSILES INDIA TO REPLACE RUSSIAN R-77 MISSILES INDIA TO REPLACE RUSSIAN R-77 MISSILES INDIA TO REPLACE RUSSIAN R-77 MISSILES INDIA TO REPLACE RUSSIAN R-77 MISSILES INDIA TO REPLACE RUSSIAN R-77 MISSILES INDIA TO REPLACE RUSSIAN R-77 MISSILES INDIA TO REPLACE RUSSIAN R-77 MISSILES INDIA TO REPLACE RUSSIAN R-77 MISSILES INDIA TO REPLACE RUSSIAN R-77 MISSILES INDIA TO REPLACE RUSSIAN R-77 MISSILES INDIA TO REPLACE RUSSIAN R-77 MISSILES INDIA TO REPLACE RUSSIAN R-77 MISSILES INDIA TO REPLACE RUSSIAN R-77 MISSILES INDIA TO REPLACE RUSSIAN R-77 MISSILES