The manufacturing of the first full-fledged prototype of the promising Virupaksha radar for the modernized Su-30MKI is entering its final stage: work is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
Virupaksha will become one of the key elements of the Super Sukhoi program, under which the Indian Air Force intends to significantly upgrade its fleet of Russian-origin Su-30MKI fighters. The first batch will see 84 aircraft undergo modernization.
The main change will be the replacement of the standard N011M "Bars" radar with a passive phased array antenna with an Indian active phased array (AESA). The radar is built on gallium nitride (GaN) transmit and receive modules, which provide higher specific power and allow for improved energy characteristics of the station.
According to the developers, the design of the Indian radar includes about 2400 transmit and receive modules placed on an antenna with a diameter of 950 mm. The device is capable of operating simultaneously in several modes, including air-to-air tasks, close air combat, air-to-surface, and providing navigation. The system also belongs to 4D radars: it determines range, azimuth, elevation angle, and relative target speed.
After manufacturing, the prototype must undergo ground tests, and then preparations for flight tests on the Su-30MKI will begin. Earlier it was reported that a large number of test flights are planned to fully verify the complex.
Earlier, "Perviy Tekhnicheskiy" reported that India is bringing the Su-30MKI production line back into operation at the HAL plant in Nashik. The company received an order for 12 new aircraft, which are to replenish the Indian Air Force fleet.