India to Modify Su-30 MKI for RVV-BD Missiles

Key facts

• India's Defence Ministry is considering a proposal to modify the Su-30 MKI aircraft by integrating them with the Russian-origin RVV BD air-to-air missile.
• The RVV BD missile can take out enemy targets at 300 kilometres at high speed in the air.
• The RVV missile provides a 300 km range and hypersonic Mach 6 speed.
• The proposal is being taken up just a few days before the arrival of Russian President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi for the BRICS meeting.
• Various versions of the missile have been developed to engage aerial targets at long ranges, including the capability to engage critical targets such as Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft and other surveillance and intelligence aircraft at a hypersonic speed of around 6 Mach.
• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is working rapidly to develop existing and future versions of the Astra missile, which is expected to have a range of over 300 kilometres.
• India is also purchasing a large number of Meteor air-to-air missiles from France.
• At present, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has a fleet of 260 Su-30 MKI aircraft.