Although represented at Farnborough only by a single Su-27 from the Gromov Flight-Test Institute at Zhukovsky, flown with his usual elan by Anatoly Kvotchur, Sukhoi is in the news from reported follow-up orders planned by India for a further 10 Su-30MKI two-seat, multi-role fighters.

So far, the Indian Air Force has received only eight Su-30Ks with basic Russian avionics of 40 MKIs on order, for initial conversion training at Pune, pending finalization of IAF requirements for more advanced systems from French industry proposals.

Further deliveries are not expected to follow until selection and initial flight development of the French mission system avionics are completed, in 1999-2000. Installation of the thrust-vectoring system in definitive Su-30MKIs for India is also considered unlikely until a later stage.

By John Fricker