What does the 'MKI' in the Su-30MKI fighter designation mean?

Indian Su-30MKI fighter jet. Photo: CAND .

The Su-30MKI fighter is one of the main fighters of the Indian Air Force. But few people know what the 'MKI' behind the name means and why it represents a generation of 'exclusive' fighters with a unique configuration of India.

What does 'MKI' in the Su-30MKI fighter designation mean?

The MKI in the Su-30MKI designation stands for Modernizirovannyi Kommercheskiy Indiskiy (Russian: Модернизированный Коммерческий Индийский); meaning 'Commercial modernized version exclusively for India'.

Of these, Modernizirovannyi is modernization, Kommercheskiy is commerce (for export, not domestic use), Indiskiy is for India.

Why does India have its own Su-30 variant?

Since the late 1990s, the Indian Air Force has been looking for a multirole fighter that could replace the MiG-23 and MiG-27 and add a heavy fighter role. After much negotiation, India decided not to simply buy the Su-30 from Russia but to request a highly customized variant - 'tailored' to its own needs.

Thus, the Su-30MKI is not a copy of the Su-30K, Su-30M, or Su-30SM, but a combination of Russian airframe, Israeli sensors, French electronics, and Indian weapons management system.

Indian Su-30MKI fighter carrying Brahmos missile. Photo: CAND .

Why Russia Accepts Deep 'Customization' for India?

The strategic Russian-Indian defense relationship since the Cold War is a solid foundation for this agreement.

In addition, India has committed to buying hundreds of them, ensuring large economies of scale, while Russia needs hard currency in the post-Soviet period.

Russia sees the Su-30MKI as a 'pilot' to expand the export market for heavy fighters.

The Su-30MKI later became the base model for many other export variants such as the Su-30MKA (Algeria), Su-30SM (Russia), Su-30MKM (Malaysia).

'MKI' - One symbol, one national strategy

The Su-30MKI is more than just a fighter. It is a symbol of India’s strategy of diversifying its defense technology. By “in-house” designing its own version, New Delhi reduces its dependence on a single source; increases its domestic maintenance and upgrade capabilities; and contributes to the development of the domestic defense industry.

The phrase 'MKI' is not just 3 technical letters, it represents India's approach to defence: smart, flexible and sovereign . In the current context, when weapons technology is developing rapidly, the spirit of 'MKI' will be widely applied in India's future defence projects such as Tejas MK2, AMCA or Ghatak attack drone.

Source: https://znews.vn/ky-hieu-mki-trong-ten-goi-tiem-kich-su-30mki-nghia-la-gi-post1552501.html